When We Forget, God Remembers

Have you ever found yourself drifting from what you know is true—forgetting a promise, a grace received, or a moment when God clearly showed up in your life? Today’s readings lead us into the painful reality of forgetfulness, not just the human kind that misplaces keys or birthdays, but the deep, spiritual forgetfulness that turns hearts away from the very God who saves. Yet even when we forget, Scripture assures us: God remembers His covenant, and in mercy, He reaches out again.

The story in Exodus is one of the most jarring images of spiritual infidelity in all of Scripture. God’s people, freshly delivered from slavery in Egypt, quickly exchange His glory for a lifeless idol—a golden calf. Psalm 106 poetically recalls this national failure, emphasizing the absurdity of trading the God of miracles for a “grass-eating bull.” And yet, what holds both readings together is Moses’ stunning intercession. As Israel forgets, Moses remembers: the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He stands in the breach, pleading for mercy—and God relents. It’s a moment that foreshadows the role of Jesus, the ultimate intercessor, who doesn’t just plead for mercy but is mercy incarnate.

In The Gospel of John, Jesus confronts a crowd suffering from the same spiritual amnesia. They know Scripture, but not the One it points to. They celebrate Moses, yet reject the very fulfillment of Moses’ words standing before them. This thread of forgetfulness isn’t just historical—it’s personal. The Church offers us these readings during Lent as a wake-up call: Have we, too, forgotten what God has done for us? Have we failed to recognize Christ in our midst? Today, we’re invited not just to remember but to return—to fall on our knees in gratitude before the God who remembers His covenant even when we don’t.

First Reading – Exodus 32:7–14

When We Trade Glory for Gold

The Book of Exodus is one of the most foundational texts in all of Scripture. It recounts the dramatic journey of Israel from bondage to freedom, and more importantly, their formation as God’s chosen people through covenant. By the time we reach Chapter 32, the Israelites have witnessed the plagues, the Red Sea parting, and the daily provision of manna. Yet here, they commit one of the gravest acts of infidelity in the Old Testament: idolatry at the foot of Sinai. This moment is not simply about idolatry; it is a rejection of the very identity God had given them. In the context of today’s readings, this scene serves as the backdrop for our exploration of forgetfulness, intercession, and divine mercy. It also prepares us to understand Christ as the greater Moses, who intercedes not only with words, but with His very life.

Exodus 32:7-14
New American Bible (Revised Edition)

⁷ Then the Lord said to Moses: Go down at once because your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, have acted corruptly. ⁸ They have quickly turned aside from the way I commanded them, making for themselves a molten calf and bowing down to it, sacrificing to it and crying out, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!” ⁹ I have seen this people, how stiff-necked they are, continued the Lord to Moses. ¹⁰ Let me alone, then, that my anger may burn against them to consume them. Then I will make of you a great nation.
¹¹ But Moses implored the Lord, his God, saying, “Why, O Lord, should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a strong hand? ¹² Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent he brought them out, that he might kill them in the mountains and wipe them off the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning wrath; change your mind about punishing your people. ¹³ Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and how you swore to them by your own self, saying, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky; and all this land that I promised, I will give your descendants as their perpetual heritage.’” ¹⁴ So the Lord changed his mind about the punishment he had threatened to inflict on his people.

Detailed Exegesis
Verse 7 – “Then the Lord said to Moses: Go down at once because your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, have acted corruptly.”
God’s distancing language is striking. Calling Israel “your people” reveals a break in communion, reflecting their betrayal of the covenant. “Acted corruptly” implies not just wrongdoing but moral decay, the same phrase used in Genesis before the flood, indicating a serious rupture.

Verse 8 – “They have quickly turned aside from the way I commanded them, making for themselves a molten calf and bowing down to it, sacrificing to it and crying out, ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!’”
The speed of their apostasy highlights the fragility of faith not rooted in trust. Despite witnessing God’s power, they replicate Egyptian idol worship, attributing their salvation to a man-made object. It’s a clear violation of the first and most foundational commandment.

Verse 9 – “I have seen this people, how stiff-necked they are, continued the Lord to Moses.”
“Stiff-necked” evokes an image of an unyielding ox. God identifies a pattern in Israel’s behavior—resistance to guidance and transformation. This is not a momentary lapse but an ingrained disposition of rebellion.

Verse 10 – “Let me alone, then, that my anger may burn against them to consume them. Then I will make of you a great nation.”
God’s words seem final, yet they open a door for intercession. The offer to start anew with Moses tests his heart. Will he accept personal elevation or advocate for a sinful people?

Verse 11 – “But Moses implored the Lord, his God, saying, ‘Why, O Lord, should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a strong hand?’”
Moses responds not with blame but with bold prayer. He restores the relational language—“your people”—and appeals to God’s mighty deeds. It’s a plea grounded in memory, reminding God of His own saving actions.

Verse 12 – “Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent he brought them out, that he might kill them in the mountains and wipe them off the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning wrath; change your mind about punishing your people.”
Here, Moses defends not only the people but God’s honor among the nations. He invokes the scandal such destruction would cause and asks God to turn from wrath, not out of sentiment, but to uphold His own glory.

Verse 13 – “Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and how you swore to them by your own self, saying, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky; and all this land that I promised, I will give your descendants as their perpetual heritage.’”
Moses calls upon the covenant—the oath God swore by Himself. In doing so, Moses aligns his prayer with God’s own promises. He is not persuading God against His nature, but invoking God’s faithfulness.

Verse 14 – “So the Lord changed his mind about the punishment he had threatened to inflict on his people.”
This is not a change in God’s eternal will but a shift in His approach within history. God’s justice is real, but so is His mercy, especially in response to humble, faithful intercession. It’s a moment of divine condescension, where prayer moves the heart of God.

Teachings
The Catechism of the Catholic Church affirms that “In the act of creation, and still more in the act of salvation, God’s glory is the manifestation and communication of his goodness” (CCC 293). Israel, in creating and worshiping the calf, rejected this very glory. Instead of reflecting God’s goodness, they projected their own desires into a lifeless idol. Their actions echo the sin of Eden: choosing the created over the Creator. Yet in this moment of great failure, God does not abandon His people forever. He allows space for intercession, just as He later will through Christ. As the Catechism teaches, “Moses intercedes and obtains pardon for his people. God’s saving love is stronger than sin. He reveals himself as the God who is rich in mercy and fidelity” (CCC 2577).

This passage also speaks to the nature of authentic leadership. Moses, a prefigurement of Christ, models the vocation of every spiritual leader: to stand before God on behalf of the people, not for personal gain, but for their salvation. Saint Gregory of Nyssa comments that “Moses, the friend of God, teaches us the power of prayer not to change God’s eternal will, but to draw down His mercy in time.” Just as Jesus will later say from the Cross, “Father, forgive them,” Moses too pleads for a wayward people. His prayer is not manipulative—it is covenantal, rooted in faith, love, and solidarity.

Historically, the sin of the Golden Calf became a warning throughout Israel’s story. It was recalled in prophetic rebukes (cf. Hosea 8:5–6) and became a symbol of the human tendency to betray God’s goodness. Yet even this grave sin was not beyond God’s mercy. This reinforces the Church’s belief in the inexhaustible nature of God’s love. Saint John Paul II once said, “Divine mercy is the limit God puts on evil. In the darkest sin, a spark of hope remains—if we turn back.” Moses’ intercession proves this: sin doesn’t have the final word—mercy does.

Reflection
What “golden calves” have we built in our own lives—things or people we’ve turned to for security or identity instead of God? It’s easy to think of idolatry as something ancient or primitive, but it remains a constant temptation. Success, pleasure, control, approval—each can become a molten calf if placed above the Lord. This reading also challenges us to become intercessors. Are we willing to pray for those who have strayed, even when their sins hurt us? Do we stand in the breach for our family, our Church, our world?

Lent is the perfect time to remember what God has done for us and return to Him wholeheartedly. Like Moses, we are called to advocate for mercy—not only with words, but with our lives. Let us be people who remember, who pray, and who trust in the God who never forgets His promises. What step can you take today to return to Him? Who needs your intercession this week? May we choose glory over gold—and mercy over resentment.

Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 106:19–23

Mercy in the Midst of Memory

Psalm 106 is a historical psalm, recounting Israel’s repeated failures and God’s unwavering mercy. It acts as both a confession and a testimony—naming sins without excuses, while also lifting high the steadfast love of the Lord. The verses selected today focus on the Golden Calf incident described in Exodus 32, making it a perfect continuation of the theme of forgetfulness and divine mercy. Written during or after the Babylonian exile, this psalm was a communal lament and a national examination of conscience. In its context, the psalm reminds Israel—and us—that remembering God’s deeds is essential to remaining faithful. The psalmist doesn’t shy away from the shameful parts of Israel’s story but revisits them to magnify the mercy of a God who forgives when He could destroy. These verses echo the intercessory role of Moses and prefigure the perfect intercession of Christ.

Psalm 106:19-23
New American Bible (Revised Edition)

¹⁹ At Horeb they fashioned a calf,
    worshiped a metal statue.
²⁰ They exchanged their glory
    for the image of a grass-eating bull.
²¹ They forgot the God who had saved them,
    who had done great deeds in Egypt,
²² Amazing deeds in the land of Ham,
    fearsome deeds at the Red Sea.
²³ He would have decreed their destruction,
    had not Moses, his chosen one,
Withstood him in the breach
    to turn back his destroying anger.

Detailed Exegesis
Verse 19 – “At Horeb they fashioned a calf, worshiped a metal statue.”
“Horeb” is another name for Mount Sinai, grounding this verse squarely in the events of Exodus 32. The use of “fashioned” and “worshiped” emphasizes the deliberate nature of the sin. They didn’t fall accidentally into idolatry—they created it with their own hands and then honored it as divine. This verse sets the tone for a deep reckoning with Israel’s choice to reject the living God in favor of a lifeless image.

Verse 20 – “They exchanged their glory for the image of a grass-eating bull.”
This is one of the most tragic lines in the psalm. “Their glory” refers to God Himself, who dwelled in their midst. To exchange the presence of the Almighty for the likeness of a beast is to commit spiritual suicide. The phrase echoes Romans 1:23, where Paul condemns those who exchange “the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man or birds or animals.” This is the downward spiral of sin: trading the eternal for the temporary, the divine for the ridiculous.

Verse 21 – “They forgot the God who had saved them, who had done great deeds in Egypt,”
Forgetfulness is not merely a lapse in memory—it’s a failure of the heart. This verse shows the root of the sin: forgetting the God who saves. Their worship of the calf was not only about the object, but about erasing the memory of God’s deliverance. They chose convenience over covenant, spectacle over substance.

Verse 22 – “Amazing deeds in the land of Ham, fearsome deeds at the Red Sea.”
The psalmist reminds the people of God’s power. “The land of Ham” refers to Egypt, and the “fearsome deeds” recall the ten plagues and the miraculous parting of the Red Sea. These weren’t minor events—they were cosmic displays of God’s dominion. And yet, even these were not enough to anchor the people’s faith. The forgetfulness becomes even more tragic in light of the wonders they had witnessed.

Verse 23 – “He would have decreed their destruction, had not Moses, his chosen one, withstood him in the breach to turn back his destroying anger.”
This verse captures the heart of the intercession described in Exodus 32. Moses “stood in the breach”—a military term meaning he placed himself between the people and the advancing danger. It’s one of the most vivid Old Testament images of intercessory prayer. Moses, “his chosen one,” doesn’t plead based on the people’s merit but on God’s promises. The verse also points forward to Jesus, who will stand in the ultimate breach on the Cross.

Teachings
The Catechism teaches that “When the Church celebrates the liturgy, she confesses the faith received from the apostles—this is the faith of the Church confessed and celebrated in the memory of God’s saving deeds” (CCC 1124). Psalm 106 is an act of liturgical memory. It shows us how remembering God’s actions, even when we’ve failed, becomes a path to reconciliation. The psalm’s honesty about sin does not diminish hope; instead, it magnifies mercy. This is part of the sacred rhythm of the Christian life: sin, memory, repentance, and mercy.

Saint Augustine comments on this psalm, saying, “The past is not remembered to produce guilt, but to produce gratitude. He who recalls his wound remembers the physician.” For Augustine, like the psalmist, memory isn’t about wallowing—it’s about worship. The memory of sin, when placed before the mercy of God, becomes a song of thanksgiving. This perspective allows us to look at our own failures not as reasons to despair, but as moments where grace broke through.

In the life of the Church, this psalm echoes in every liturgical confession: “I confess to Almighty God… that I have greatly sinned.” The Church doesn’t ignore human weakness—she brings it into the light of divine healing. Psalm 106 encourages us to confront our history, both personal and communal, and to do so with confidence in the God who hears intercession and forgives. Just as Moses stood in the breach, so too are we invited to become people of prayer, who bring others before God not in condemnation but in hope.

Reflection
What memories have we buried instead of bringing to God? What moments of forgetfulness have led us away from trusting in Him? The story of the Golden Calf is not only a national narrative—it’s personal. Each of us is tempted to fashion our own idols, especially when we forget what God has already done for us. But this psalm reminds us that even our darkest moments can become places of encounter if we allow God to enter them.

Psalm 106 also calls us to be intercessors. Who do you need to “stand in the breach” for today? A loved one far from the Church? A co-worker in crisis? A community in pain? We are not powerless. Our prayers can be a shield for others, just as Moses’ were. In this season of Lent, let the memory of God’s deeds fuel your prayer life and embolden your hope. Let us remember so we may return. Let us intercede so others may be spared. Let us worship not what we make, but the One who made us.

Holy Gospel – John 5:31–47

The Testimony We Ignore

The Gospel of John is often described as the most theological of the four Gospels, emphasizing the divinity of Christ and His mission as the eternal Word made flesh. Chapter 5 marks a turning point in Jesus’ public ministry. After healing a man on the Sabbath, Jesus is accused of breaking the Law and blaspheming by claiming God as His Father. His response is not a retreat, but a bold declaration of His divine authority and identity. In today’s passage, Jesus shifts from defending His actions to indicting the spiritual blindness of His audience. He presents a courtroom scene, offering multiple witnesses—John the Baptist, His own works, the Father, Scripture, and even Moses—as evidence of who He is. Yet despite the overwhelming testimony, the people refuse to believe. In the context of today’s theme, this Gospel shows us that forgetfulness is not always passive. Sometimes it is a willful rejection of the truth standing right in front of us.

John 5:31-47
New American Bible (Revised Edition)

Witnesses to Jesus. ³¹ “If I testify on my own behalf, my testimony cannot be verified. ³² But there is another who testifies on my behalf, and I know that the testimony he gives on my behalf is true. ³³ You sent emissaries to John, and he testified to the truth. ³⁴ I do not accept testimony from a human being, but I say this so that you may be saved. ³⁵ He was a burning and shining lamp, and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light. ³⁶ But I have testimony greater than John’s. The works that the Father gave me to accomplish, these works that I perform testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me. ³⁷ Moreover, the Father who sent me has testified on my behalf. But you have never heard his voice nor seen his form, ³⁸ and you do not have his word remaining in you, because you do not believe in the one whom he has sent. ³⁹ You search the scriptures, because you think you have eternal life through them; even they testify on my behalf. ⁴⁰ But you do not want to come to me to have life.

Unbelief of Jesus’ Hearers. ⁴¹ “I do not accept human praise; ⁴² moreover, I know that you do not have the love of God in you. ⁴³ I came in the name of my Father, but you do not accept me; yet if another comes in his own name, you will accept him. ⁴⁴ How can you believe, when you accept praise from one another and do not seek the praise that comes from the only God? ⁴⁵ Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father: the one who will accuse you is Moses, in whom you have placed your hope. ⁴⁶ For if you had believed Moses, you would have believed me, because he wrote about me. ⁴⁷ But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

Detailed Exegesis
Verse 31 – “If I testify on my own behalf, my testimony cannot be verified.”
Jesus acknowledges the Jewish legal standard that one person’s testimony alone is not sufficient (cf. Deuteronomy 19:15). His humility here isn’t a denial of His authority, but a concession to the framework His audience understands. He invites them to judge Him according to their own rules.

Verse 32 – “But there is another who testifies on my behalf, and I know that the testimony he gives on my behalf is true.”
Though unnamed here, Jesus likely refers to God the Father. This divine witness is greater than any human one. The use of “another” also begins to build the case that His identity is not self-declared, but divinely revealed.

Verse 33 – “You sent emissaries to John, and he testified to the truth.”
Jesus points to John the Baptist, whose prophetic voice had once stirred Israel. They had listened to John, respected him, even rejoiced in his light, but ultimately dismissed his testimony when it pointed to Jesus.

Verse 34 – “I do not accept testimony from a human being, but I say this so that you may be saved.”
Jesus clarifies that He doesn’t need human validation. His appeal to John is for their sake, not His. This reveals the merciful purpose of His argument: not to win a debate, but to awaken faith and lead to salvation.

Verse 35 – “He was a burning and shining lamp, and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light.”
John’s role is described in beautiful, poetic terms. But the people’s delight was temporary—they were content with the spark, not the Source. This is a subtle warning about superficial faith: enjoying the glow without embracing the fire.

Verse 36 – “But I have testimony greater than John’s. The works that the Father gave me to accomplish, these works that I perform testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me.”
Jesus presents His miracles—healings, signs, and teachings—as divine evidence. These are not just wonders; they are signs of mission. His works fulfill prophecy and reveal the presence of the Kingdom.

Verse 37 – “Moreover, the Father who sent me has testified on my behalf. But you have never heard his voice nor seen his form,”
God the Father’s testimony is invisible but real—spoken through Scripture, fulfilled in Christ, and revealed in spiritual understanding. Jesus accuses His audience of lacking this connection with the Father.

Verse 38 – “And you do not have his word remaining in you, because you do not believe in the one whom he has sent.”
Faith is the measure of divine indwelling. Despite their study of the Law, they’ve missed its fulfillment. God’s word is not merely memorized—it must be received, lived, and incarnated in faith.

Verse 39 – “You search the scriptures, because you think you have eternal life through them; even they testify on my behalf.”
This verse is piercing. They know the Scriptures inside and out but fail to recognize their central figure—Jesus. The tragedy here is not ignorance, but blindness born of pride and self-sufficiency.

Verse 40 – “But you do not want to come to me to have life.”
Here is the root problem: unwillingness. Jesus reveals that the obstacle to belief isn’t lack of evidence, but a hardened heart. They prefer their ideas, their control, their comfort, to the radical invitation to follow Him.

Verse 41 – “I do not accept human praise;”
Jesus isn’t driven by approval. His mission is rooted in obedience to the Father, not in pleasing the crowds. This detachment reveals the purity of His motives and the contrast with His hearers.

Verse 42 – “Moreover, I know that you do not have the love of God in you.”
A devastating line. Jesus penetrates to the core: their actions and rejection stem from a lack of love. Religion without love is lifeless. It is possible to be devout in form and yet far from God in essence.

Verse 43 – “I came in the name of my Father, but you do not accept me; yet if another comes in his own name, you will accept him.”
This prophetic insight foreshadows future false messiahs. The people reject the true Savior while being open to imposters. It’s a spiritual irony that still resonates today.

Verse 44 – “How can you believe, when you accept praise from one another and do not seek the praise that comes from the only God?”
Jesus exposes the social dynamics at play. They are trapped in human opinion and prestige, making faith impossible. Seeking God’s glory requires humility and detachment from worldly recognition.

Verse 45 – “Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father: the one who will accuse you is Moses, in whom you have placed your hope.”
This is a sharp reversal. They revere Moses but fail to heed him. The very one they trust will be their accuser—not because Moses condemns them, but because they’ve ignored his testimony about the Messiah.

Verse 46 – “For if you had believed Moses, you would have believed me, because he wrote about me.”
Jesus affirms that Moses pointed to Him. From Genesis through Deuteronomy, the Law anticipated the coming of the Christ. Their failure to recognize Jesus reveals a failure to truly understand Moses.

Verse 47 – “But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”
The Gospel closes this section with a rhetorical indictment. Scripture, rightly understood, leads to Jesus. Their rejection of Christ proves that they have not truly believed even what they claim to uphold.

Teachings
The Catechism teaches: “The Gospels were written by men who were among the first to have the faith and wanted to share it with others. Having known the Lord and received the Holy Spirit, they wrote so that others might come to believe that Jesus is the Christ” (CCC 515). Jesus’ discourse in John 5 is a direct call to this kind of belief. He invites His listeners, and us, to move from knowledge to trust, from law to love, from Scripture to the Word made flesh. It is not enough to study religion; we must surrender to the one it reveals.

Saint Cyril of Alexandria explains: “The Jews honored the letter of the Law but failed to grasp its spirit, which is fulfilled in Christ. Their eyes were fixed on shadows, not the substance.” This failure to see Christ in Scripture is not just a Jewish problem—it can afflict any of us who approach faith as an academic exercise or cultural tradition, rather than a living relationship with the Lord. Jesus makes it clear: eternal life is not found in words alone, but in the Person to whom those words lead.

Historically, the early Church Fathers frequently cited this passage when defending the continuity between the Old and New Testaments. Saint Irenaeus wrote: “The Scriptures are perfect, inasmuch as they were uttered by the Word of God and His Spirit. But we only understand them rightly when we come to Christ.” (Against Heresies, 2.28.2). This affirms that reading Scripture outside of Christ risks distortion. Jesus is not only the fulfillment of the Law—He is the lens through which we must read all of God’s revelation.

Reflection
Are we searching the Scriptures to find Jesus, or only to confirm what we already believe? This Gospel challenges us to examine our motives and posture before God’s Word. It’s possible to be immersed in religious life and still miss Jesus if our hearts are closed to transformation. Lent invites us not just to study more, but to believe more deeply—to surrender our own expectations and let the Word of God change us.

Whose approval are we seeking? Are we more concerned with the praise of others than the praise of God? Jesus warns that this desire for human validation can blind us to divine truth. Faith requires humility, a willingness to let go of image and reputation in favor of authenticity and conversion. Let this Gospel awaken in us a desire to listen—not just to words, but to the Word Himself. May we not harden our hearts, but come to Him to have life.

Called to Remember, Moved to Return

Today’s readings form a piercing yet hope-filled tapestry: a chosen people forgetting their Deliverer, a prophet standing in the breach, a psalmist remembering failure to magnify mercy, and a Savior offering unassailable testimony that goes unheard. Each passage confronts us with the cost of spiritual forgetfulness—but none leaves us without the promise of God’s mercy. We’ve seen how Israel, though rescued with power and love, turns quickly to idols. We’ve listened as Moses reminds God of His covenant and pleads for compassion. We’ve sung the sorrow of a people who exchanged glory for a lifeless image, and we’ve heard Jesus lament the blindness of those who search the Scriptures but refuse to come to the One they point to.

The theme is unmistakable: God remembers even when we forget. He invites us back even when we stray. His justice is real, but His mercy is greater. Through Moses, He shows the power of intercession. Through the psalmist, He teaches the importance of memory. Through Jesus, He reveals that the fullness of divine testimony is standing before us—if only we’re willing to see. Each reading today is a mirror and a map: a mirror reflecting where we’ve turned away, and a map guiding us back to the heart of God.

Will we choose to remember? Will we let go of the idols we’ve made with our own hands and return to the One who shaped us from dust and breathed us into life? This Lent, let’s stand in the breach like Moses. Let’s remember our story like the psalmist. Let’s respond to Christ with open hearts, ready to receive life. You are not forgotten. You are remembered by the God who calls you by name. Come back to Him—not tomorrow, not later, but today.

Engage with Us!

We’d love to hear how God is speaking to your heart through today’s readings. What moved you? What challenged you? Where do you see yourself in these stories of forgetting, interceding, and remembering? Share your thoughts in the comments below—your reflection might be the encouragement someone else needs today!

Reflection Questions

First Reading – Exodus 32:7–14
What “golden calves” have I created in my life—things I rely on instead of trusting God? How can I become more like Moses—standing in prayerful intercession for others, even when it’s difficult?

Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 106:19–23
What specific works of God in my life do I need to remember more intentionally?
Am I willing to let my past failures become testimonies of God’s mercy rather than sources of shame?

Holy Gospel – John 5:31–47
Do I read Scripture as a living encounter with Christ, or just as information?
Whose approval do I value most—God’s or others’? How might that affect my faith?

As you carry these readings into your day, remember that every moment is a chance to return, to intercede, and to see Jesus more clearly. Live boldly in the truth of who God is: merciful, faithful, and always ready to welcome you home. Let us strive to live each day rooted in faith, overflowing with the love and mercy Jesus taught us, and ever eager to share that love with a world that desperately needs it.

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