The Third Sunday of Lent

1.) OLD ROMAN LECTIONARY

Introit

(Ps. 24 [25]:15, 16; 1, 2)

My eyes are ever toward the LORD, for He will pluck my feet out from a net; turn to me and have mercy on me, for I am alone and poor.
To you, O LORD, I have lifted up my soul; In you, O my God, I trust; do not let me be put to shame.
V: Glory to the Father...
My eyes are ever toward the LORD...

Epistle

(Ephesians 5:1-9)

Brethren, be imitators of God as dearly loved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for an odor of sweetness. But fornication and all impurity or greed, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither obscenity, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which is to no purpose, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator or impure person, or one who is greedy (who is an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let nobody deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disbelief. Therefore do not be partakers with them, for you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light – for the fruit of the light is in all goodness, and righteousness, and truth.

Gradual

(Psalm 9:20, 4 [19, 3])

Arise, O LORD, do not let man prevail; let the nations be judged in your sight.
V: When my enemies turn back, they shall fall and perish at your presence.

Tract

(Ps. 122[123]:1-3a)

To you have I lifted up my eyes, Who dwells in heaven.
V: Behold, as the eyes of servants are on the hand of their masters;
V: And as the eyes of a handmaid to the hand of her mistress, so are our eyes to the LORD our God, until He has mercy on us.
V: Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us!

Gospel

(Luke 11:14-28)

At that time Jesus was casting out a devil, and it was mute. And it happened that when the demon had gone out that the mute spoke, and the multitudes were amazed. But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons." Others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven.
But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and house falls on house. So if Satan also is divided against himself how will his kingdom stand? —because you say that I cast out the demons by Beelzebub. Now if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.
"When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace. But when a stronger than he comes upon him and conquers him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his plunder. He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.
When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places seeking rest; and finding none he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when he comes, he finds it swept clean and put in order. Then he goes and brings seven other spirits more wicked than himself and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first."
And it happened that as He said these things that a certain woman in the crowd lifted up her voice and said to Him, "Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts at which you nursed!" But He said, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it."

Offertory

(cf. Ps. 18 [19]:9-11)

The justices of the LORD are right, rejoicing hearts: and His judgments are sweeter than honey and the honeycomb; for your servant keeps them.

Communion

(Ps. 83:4-5 [84:3-4])

The sparrow has found a home, and the turtledove a nest for herself, where she may lay her young: your altars, O LORD of hosts, my King and my God.
Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; they shall praise you forever and ever.

2.) NEW ROMAN LECTIONARY, Year B

1st Reading

(Exodus 20:1-17 or 20:1-3, 7-8, 12-17)

In those days, God delivered all these commandments:
"I, the LORD, am your God, who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slaves; you shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above or that is on the earth beneath or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I, the LORD, your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the sons to the third and fourth generations of those who reject me, but showing steadfast love to thousands, to those who love me and keep my commandments.
"You shall not take the Name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His Name in vain.
"Remember the Sabbath day, to set it apart as holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God; you shall not do any work — you, your son or your daughter, or your male servant, or your female servant, or your cattle, or the alien who is in your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that is in them, and He rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and consecrated it.
"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the LORD your God is giving you.
"You shall not murder.
"You shall not commit adultery.
"You shall not steal.
"You shall not answer as a lying witness against your neighbor.
"You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that belongs to your neighbor."

Responsorial Psalm

(Psalm 19 [18]:8, 9, 10, 11)

R. (John 6:68c) Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever; the judgments of the LORD are true and altogether righteous.
R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
More to be desired are they than gold, than much pure gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
Moreover your servant is warned by them; in the keeping of them there is great reward.
R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.

2nd Reading

(1 Corinthians 1:22-25)

Brothers and sisters:
Jews demand signs and Greeks ask for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to gentiles foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

Gospel

(John 2:13-25)

Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers sitting at tables. And He made a whip of cords and drove them all out of the temple with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.
And He said to those who sold doves, "Take these things away! Stop making my Father’s House a house of trade!" Then His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for Your house will devour me."
Then the Judeans answered and said to Him, "What sign can you show to us since you are doing these things?" Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."
Then the Judeans said, "This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?" But He was speaking of the temple of His body; so after He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.
Now when He was in Jerusalem at the feast of the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He was doing. But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and He did not need anyone to testify about man, for He knew what was in man.