Saturday in the 3rd Week of Lent

FIRST READING
“I desire mercy and not sacrifice.”
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Hosea (Hosea 6:1-6)

“Come, let us return to the Lord; for he has torn, that he may heal us;
he has stricken, and he will bind us up. After two days he will revive us;
on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him.
Let us know, let us press on to know the Lord; his going forth
is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers,
as the spring rains that water the earth.” What shall I do with you,O Ephraim?
What shall I do with you, O Judah? Your love is like a morning cloud,
like the dew that goes early away. Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets,
I have slain them by the words of my mouth, and my judgement goes forth as the light.
For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God, rather than burnt offerings.

The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM psalm 51:3-4.18-19.20-21ab
R/. I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.

Have mercy on me, O God,
According to your merciful love;
According to your great compassion,
Blot out my transgressions.
Wash me completely from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin. R/.

For in sacrifice you take no delight;
Burnt offering from me would not please you.
My sacrifice to God, a broken spirit:
A broken and humble heart,
O God, you will not spurn. R/.

In your good pleasure, show favour to Sion;
Rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
Then you will delight in right sacrifice,
Burnt offering wholly consumed. R/.

VERSE BEFORE THE GOSPEL Psalm 95:7d.8a
Glory and praise to you, O Christ.

Today, harden not your hearts, but listen to the voice of the Lord.

Glory and praise to you, O Christ.

GOSPEL
The tax collector went down to his house justified rather than the Pharisee.
A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke (Luke 18; 9-14)

At that time: Jesus told this parable to some who trusted in themselves
that they were righteous and despised others: “Two men went up
into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank you
that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers,
or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I get.’
“But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven,
but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ “I tell you,
this man went down to his house justified rather than the other;
for every one who exalts himself will be humbled,
but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

The Gospel of the Lord.