CATHOLIC DAILY READING
Catholic Daily Reading Includes the complete readings – 1st Reading, Responsorial Psalm and the Gospel. This daily reading is published to help you live a life full of faith.
Daily Mass Reading for Today Friday 7th April 2023.
Good Friday, Day of Fast (Ages 18-59) and Abstinence from Meat (Age 14 and Up)
First Reading: Isaiah 52: 13 – 53: 12
13Â Behold my servant shall understand, he shall be exalted, and extolled, and shall be exceeding high.
14Â As many have been astonished at thee, so shall his visage be inglorious among men, and his form among the sons of men.
15Â He shall sprinkle many nations, kings shall shut their mouth at him: for they to whom it was not told of him, have seen: and they that heard not, have beheld.
53:1Â Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
2Â And he shall grow up as a tender plant before him, and as a root out of a thirsty ground: there is no beauty in him, nor comeliness: and we have seen him, and there was no sightliness, that we should be desirous of him:
3Â Despised, and the most abject of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with infirmity: and his look was as it were hidden and despised, whereupon we esteemed him not.
4Â Surely he hath borne our infirmities and carried our sorrows: and we have thought him as it were a leper, and as one struck by God and afflicted.
5Â But he was wounded for our iniquities, he was bruised for our sins: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his bruises we are healed.
6Â All we like sheep have gone astray, every one hath turned aside into his own way: and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was offered because it was his own will, and he opened not his mouth: he shall be led as a sheep to the slaughter, and shall be dumb as a lamb before his shearer, and he shall not open his mouth.
8Â He was taken away from distress, and from judgment: who shall declare his generation? because he is cut off out of the land of the living: for the wickedness of my people have I struck him.
9Â And he shall give the ungodly for his burial, and the rich for his death: because he hath done no iniquity, neither was there deceit in his mouth.
10Â And the Lord was pleased to bruise him in infirmity: if he shall lay down his life for sin, he shall see a long-lived seed, and the will of the Lord shall be prosperous in his hand.
11Â Because his soul hath laboured, he shall see and be filled: by his knowledge shall this my just servant justify many, and he shall bear their iniquities.
12Â Therefore will I distribute to him very many, and he shall divide the spoils of the strong, because he hath delivered his soul unto death, and was reputed with the wicked: and he hath borne the sins of many, and hath prayed for the transgressors.
Responsorial Psalm:Â Psalms 31:Â 2, 6, 12-13, 15-16, 17, 25
R. (Luke 23:46) Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.
2Â In thee, O Lord, have I hoped, let me never be confounded: deliver me in thy justice.
6Â Into thy hands I commend my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, the God of truth.
R. Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.
12Â I am become a reproach among all my enemies, and very much to my neighbours; and a fear to my acquaintance. They that saw me without fled from me.
13Â I am forgotten as one dead from the heart. I am become as a vessel that is destroyed.
R. Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.
15Â But I have put my trust in thee, O Lord: I said: Thou art my God.
16Â My lots are in thy hands. Deliver me out of the hands of my enemies; and from them that persecute me.
R. Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.
17Â Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; save me in thy mercy.
25Â Do ye manfully, and let your heart be strengthened, all ye that hope in the Lord.
R. Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.
Second Reading:Â Hebrews 4:Â 14-16; 5: 7-9
14Â Having therefore a great high priest that hath passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God: let us hold fast our confession.
15Â For we have not a high priest, who can not have compassion on our infirmities: but one tempted in all things like as we are, without sin.
16Â Let us go therefore with confidence to the throne of grace: that we may obtain mercy, and find grace in seasonable aid.
5:7Â Who in the days of his flesh, with a strong cry and tears, offering up prayers and supplications to him that was able to save him from death, was heard for his reverence.
8Â And whereas indeed he was the Son of God, he learned obedience by the things which he suffered:
9Â And being consummated, he became, to all that obey him, the cause of eternal salvation.
Verse Before the Gospel:Â Philippians 2:Â 8-9
8-9Â Christ became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every other name.
Gospel: John 18: 1 – 19: 42
1Â When Jesus had said these things, he went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where there was a garden, into which he entered with his disciples.
2Â And Judas also, who betrayed him, knew the place; because Jesus had often resorted thither together with his disciples.
3Â Judas therefore having received a band of soldiers and servants from the chief priests and the Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons.
4Â Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said to them: Whom seek ye?
5Â They answered him: Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith to them: I am he. And Judas also, who betrayed him, stood with them.
6Â As soon therefore as he had said to them: I am he; they went backward, and fell to the ground.
7Â Again therefore he asked them: Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth.
8Â Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he. If therefore you seek me, let these go their way.
9Â That the word might be fulfilled which he said: Of them whom thou hast given me, I have not lost any one.
10Â Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it, and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. And the name of the servant was Malchus.
11Â Jesus therefore said to Peter: Put up thy sword into the scabbard. The chalice which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?
12Â Then the band and the tribune, and the servants of the Jews, took Jesus, and bound him:
13Â And they led him away to Annas first, for he was father in law to Caiphas, who was the high priest of that year.
14Â Now Caiphas was he who had given the counsel to the Jews: That it was expedient that one man should die for the people.
15Â And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. And that disciple was known to the high priest, and went in with Jesus into the court of the high priest.
16Â But Peter stood at the door without. The other disciple therefore, who was known to the high priest, went out, and spoke to the portress, and brought in Peter.
17 The maid therefore that was portress, saith to Peter: Art not thou also one of this man’s disciples? He saith: I am not.
18Â Now the servants and ministers stood at a fire of coals, because it was cold, and warmed themselves. And with them was Peter also, standing, and warming himself.
19Â The high priest therefore asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine.
20Â Jesus answered him: I have spoken openly to the world: I have always taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither all the Jews resort; and in secret I have spoken nothing.
21Â Why asketh thou me? ask them who have heard what I have spoken unto them: behold they know what things I have said.
22Â And when he had said these things, one of the servants standing by, gave Jesus a blow, saying: Answerest thou the high priest so?
23Â Jesus answered him: If I have spoken evil, give testimony of the evil; but if well, why strikest thou me?
24Â And Annas sent him bound to Caiphas the high priest.
25 And Simon Peter was standing, and warming himself. They said therefore to him: Art not thou also one of his disciples? He denied it, and said: I am not.
26Â One of the servants of the high priest (a kinsman to him whose ear Peter cut off) saith to him: Did I not see thee in the garden with him?
27Â Again therefore Peter denied; and immediately the cock crew.
28 Then they led Jesus from Caiphas to the governor’s hall. And it was morning; and they went not into the hall, that they might not be defiled, but that they might eat the pasch.
29Â Pilate therefore went out to them, and said: What accusation bring you against this man?
30Â They answered, and said to him: If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up to thee.
31Â Pilate therefore said to them: Take him you, and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore said to him: It is not lawful for us to put any man to death;
32Â That the word of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he said, signifying what death he should die.
33Â Pilate therefore went into the hall again, and called Jesus, and said to him: Art thou the king of the Jews?
34Â Jesus answered: Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or have others told it thee of me?
35Â Pilate answered: Am I a Jew? Thy own nation, and the chief priests, have delivered thee up to me: what hast thou done?
36Â Jesus answered: My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would certainly strive that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now my kingdom is not from hence.
37Â Pilate therefore said to him: Art thou a king then? Jesus answered: Thou sayest that I am a king. For this was I born, and for this came I into the world; that I should give testimony to the truth. Every one that is of the truth, heareth my voice.
38Â Pilate saith to him: What is truth? And when he said this, he went out again to the Jews, and saith to them: I find no cause in him.
39Â But you have a custom that I should release one unto you at the pasch: will you, therefore, that I release unto you the king of the Jews?
40Â Then cried they all again, saying: Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber.
19:1Â Then therefore, Pilate took Jesus, and scourged him.
2Â And the soldiers platting a crown of thorns, put it upon his head; and they put on him a purple garment.
3Â And they came to him, and said: Hail, king of the Jews; and they gave him blows.
4Â Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith to them: Behold, I bring him forth unto you, that you may know that I find no cause in him.
5Â (Jesus therefore came forth, bearing the crown of thorns and the purple garment.) And he saith to them: Behold the Man.
6Â When the chief priests, therefore, and the servants, had seen him, they cried out, saying: Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith to them: Take him you, and crucify him: for I find no cause in him.
7Â The Jews answered him: We have a law; and according to the law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.
8Â When Pilate therefore had heard this saying, he feared the more.
9Â And he entered into the hall again, and he said to Jesus: Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer.
10Â Pilate therefore saith to him: Speakest thou not to me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and I have power to release thee?
11Â Jesus answered: Thou shouldst not have any power against me, unless it were given thee from above. Therefore, he that hath delivered me to thee, hath the greater sin.
12 And from henceforth Pilate sought to release him. But the Jews cried out, saying: If thou release this man, thou art not Caesar’s friend. For whosoever maketh himself a king, speaketh against Caesar.
13Â Now when Pilate had heard these words, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat, in the place that is called Lithostrotos, and in Hebrew Gabbatha.
14Â And it was the parasceve of the pasch, about the sixth hour, and he saith to the Jews: Behold your king.
15Â But they cried out: Away with him; away with him; crucify him. Pilate saith to them: Shall I crucify your king? The chief priests answered: We have no king but Caesar.
16Â Then therefore he delivered him to them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him forth.
17Â And bearing his own cross, he went forth to that place which is called Calvary, but in Hebrew Golgotha.
18Â Where they crucified him, and with him two others, one on each side, and Jesus in the midst.
19Â And Pilate wrote a title also, and he put it upon the cross. And the writing was: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
20Â This title therefore many of the Jews did read: because the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, in Greek, and in Latin.
21 Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate: Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am the King of the Jews.
22Â Pilate answered: What I have written, I have written.
23Â The soldiers therefore, when they had crucified him, took his garments, (and they made four parts, to every soldier a part,) and also his coat. Now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.
24Â They said then one to another: Let us not cut it, but let us cast lots for it, whose it shall be; that the scripture might be fulfilled, saying: They have parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture they have cast lots. And the soldiers indeed did these things.
25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalen.
26Â When Jesus therefore had seen his mother and the disciple standing whom he loved, he saith to his mother: Woman, behold thy son.
27Â After that, he saith to the disciple: Behold thy mother. And from that hour, the disciple took her to his own.
28Â Afterwards, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, said: I thirst.
29Â Now there was a vessel set there full of vinegar. And they, putting a sponge full of vinegar and hyssop, put it to his mouth.
30Â Jesus therefore, when he had taken the vinegar, said: It is consummated. And bowing his head, he gave up the ghost.
31Â Then the Jews, (because it was the parasceve,) that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath day, (for that was a great sabbath day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
32Â The soldiers therefore came; and they broke the legs of the first, and of the other that was crucified with him.
33Â But after they were come to Jesus, when they saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.
34Â But one of the soldiers with a spear opened his side, and immediately there came out blood and water.
35Â And he that saw it, hath given testimony, and his testimony is true. And he knoweth that he saith true; that you also may believe.
36Â For these things were done, that the scripture might be fulfilled: You shall not break a bone of him.
37Â And again another scripture saith: They shall look on him whom they pierced.
38Â And after these things, Joseph of Arimathea (because he was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews) besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus. And Pilate gave leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.
39Â And Nicodemus also came, (he who at the first came to Jesus by night,) bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.
40Â They took therefore the body of Jesus, and bound it in linen cloths, with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.
41Â Now there was in the place where he was crucified, a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein no man yet had been laid.
42Â There, therefore, because of the parasceve of the Jews, they laid Jesus, because the sepulchre was nigh at hand.
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