Daily Readings - 31/03/2026

^49:1 Islands, listen to me, pay attention, remotest peoples. Yahweh called me before I was born, from my mother’s womb he pronounced my name.

^49:2 He made my mouth a sharp sword, and hid me in the shadow of his hand. He made me into a sharpened arrow, and concealed me in his quiver.

^49:3 He said to me, ‘You are my servant (Israel) in whom I shall be glorified’;

^49:4 while I was thinking, ‘I have toiled in vain, I have exhausted myself for nothing’; and all the while my cause was with Yahweh, my reward with my God.

^49:6 ‘It is not enough for you to be my servant, to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back the survivors of Israel; I will make you the light of the nations so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth’.

^71:1 In you, Yahweh, I take shelter; never let me be disgraced.

^71:2 In your righteousness rescue me, deliver me, turn your ear to me and save me!

^71:3 Be a sheltering rock for me, a walled fortress to save me! For you are my rock, my fortress.

^71:4 My God, rescue me from the hands of the wicked, from the clutches of rogue and tyrant!

^71:5 For you alone are my hope, Lord, Yahweh, I have trusted you since my youth,

^71:6 I have relied on you since I was born, you have been my portion from my mother’s womb, and the constant theme of my praise.

^71:7 To many I have seemed an enigma, but you are my firm refuge.

^71:8 My mouth is full of your praises, filled with your splendour all day long.

^71:9 Do not reject me now I am old, nor desert me now my strength is failing,

^71:10 for my enemies are uttering threats, spies hatching their conspiracy:

^71:11 ‘Hound him down now that God has deserted him, seize him, there is no one to rescue him!’

^71:12 God, do not stand aside, my God, come quickly and help me!

^71:13 Shame and ruin on those who attack me; may insult and disgrace cover those whose aim is to hurt me!

^71:14 I promise that, ever hopeful, I will praise you more and more,

^71:15 my lips shall proclaim your righteousness and power to save, all day long.

^71:16 I will come in the power of Yahweh to commemorate your righteousness, yours alone.

^71:17 God, you taught me when I was young, and I am still proclaiming your marvels.

^71:18 Now that I am old and grey, God, do not desert me; let me live to tell the rising generation about your strength and power,

^71:19 about your heavenly righteousness, God. You have done great things; who, God, is comparable to you?

^71:20 You have sent me misery and hardship, but you will give me life again, you will pull me up again from the depths of the earth,

^71:21 prolong my old age, and once more comfort me.

^71:22 I promise I will thank you on the lyre, my ever-faithful God, I will play the harp in your honour, Holy One of Israel.

^71:23 My lips shall sing for joy as I play to you, and this soul of mine which you have redeemed.

^71:24 And all day long, my tongue shall be talking of your righteousness. Shame and disgrace on those whose aim is to hurt me!

^13:21 Having said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and declared, ‘I tell you most solemnly, one of you will betray me’.

^13:22 The disciples looked at one another, wondering which he meant.

^13:23 The disciple Jesus loved was reclining next to Jesus;

^13:24 Simon Peter signed to him and said, ‘Ask who it is he means’,

^13:25 so leaning back on Jesus’ breast he said, ‘Who is it, Lord?’

^13:26 ‘lt is the one’ replied Jesus ‘to whom I give the piece of bread that I shall dip in the dish.’ He dipped the piece of bread and gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot.

^13:27 At that instant, after Judas had taken the bread, Satan entered him. Jesus then said, ‘What you are going to do, do quickly’.

^13:28 None of the others at table understood the reason he said this.

^13:29 Since Judas had charge of the common fund, some of them thought Jesus was telling him, ‘Buy what we need for the festival’, or telling him to give something to the poor.

^13:30 As soon as Judas had taken the piece of bread he went out. Night had fallen.

^13:31 When he had gone Jesus said: ‘Now has the Son of Man been glorified, and in him God has been glorified.

^13:32 If God has been glorified in him, God will in turn glorify him in himself,[*c] and will glorify him very soon.

^13:33 ‘My little children, I shall not be with you much longer. You will look for me, and, as I told the Jews, where I am going, you cannot come.

^13:36 Simon Peter said, ‘Lord, where are you going?’ Jesus replied, ‘Where I am going you cannot follow me now; you will follow me later’.

^13:37 Peter said to him, ‘Why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.’

^13:38 ‘Lay down your life for me?’ answered Jesus. ‘I tell you most solemnly, before the cock crows you will have disowned me three times.