Gospel of March 18, 2021 with the comment of Pope Francis

Gospel of the day March 18, 2021: From the book of Exodus Ex 32,7-14 In those days, the Lord said to Moses: «Go, come down, because your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, are perverted. They did not take long to turn away from the path I had indicated to them! They made themselves a calf of molten metal, then they bowed down before him, they offered him sacrifices and said: Behold your God, Israel, the one who brought you out of the land of Egypt. " The Lord also said to Moses, “I have observed this people: behold, they are a hard-headed people.

Now let my anger ignite against them and devour them. Instead of you I will make a great nation ». Moses then begged the Lord his God and said, "Why, Lord, will your anger be kindled against your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great strength and with a mighty hand?" Why should the Egyptians say: With malice he brought them out, to make them perish in the mountains and make them disappear from the earth?

Gospel of the day of March 18

Give up on the heat of your anger and give up your resolve to harm your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by yourself and said: I will make your posterity as numerous as the stars of heaven, and all this earth, of which I have spoken, I will give to your descendants. and they will possess it forever ». The Lord repented of the evil he had threatened to do to his people.

Gospel of the day March 18, 2021: From the Gospel according to John Jn 5,31: 47-XNUMX At that time, Jesus said to the Jews: «If I were to testify about myself, my testimony would not be true. There is another who testifies of me, and I know that the testimony he gives of me is true. You sent messengers to John and he gave witness to the truth. I don't receive testimony from a man; but I tell you these things so that you may be saved. He was the lamp that burns and shines, and you just wanted to rejoice in his light for a moment. But I have a testimony superior to that of John: the works that the Father has given me to do, those very works that I am doing, testify of me that the Father has sent me. And the Father who sent me also testified about me.

Gospel of St. John's day

But you have never listened to his voice or seen his face, and his word does not abide in you; for do not believe him whom he sent. You scrutinize the Scriptures, thinking that they have eternal life in them: it is they who bear witness to me. But you don't want to come to me to have life. I don't receive glory from men. But I know you: you do not have God's love within you.

I have come in my Father's name and you do not welcome me; if another came in his own name, you would welcome him. And how can you believe, you who receive glory from one another, and do not seek the glory that comes from the one God? Do not think that I will be the one to accuse you before the Father; there are already those who accuse you: Moses, in whom you place your hope. For if you believed in Moses, you would also believe in me; because he wrote about me. But if you don't believe his writings, how can you believe my words? ».

Gospel of the day: comment by Pope Francis

The Father was always present in the life of Jesus, and Jesus spoke of it. Jesus prayed to the Father. And many times, he spoke of the Father who takes care of us, as he takes care of the birds, of the lilies of the field… The Father. And when the disciples asked him to learn to pray, Jesus taught to pray to the Father: "Our Father" (Mt 6,9). He always goes [turns] to the Father. This trust in the Father, trust in the Father who is capable of doing everything. This courage to pray, because it takes courage to pray! To pray is to go with Jesus to the Father who will give you everything. Courage in prayer, frankness in prayer. This is how the Church goes on, with prayer, the courage of prayer, because the Church knows that without this ascent to the Father she cannot survive. (Pope Francis' homily of Santa Marta - 10 May 2020)