Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent

Official Translation

Reading 1 – Genesis 17.3-9

“Abram fell on his face,
and God spoke to him, saying:
“This is my covenant is with you:
You will be the father of a multitude of nations.
Nor will your name any more be Abram,
but your name will be Abraham;
for I have made you the father
of a multitude of nations.

I will make you exceedingly fruitful,
and I will make nations of you.
Kings will come forth from you.
I will establish my covenant
between me and you and your seed after you
throughout their generations
for an everlasting covenant,
to be a God to you and to your seed after you.

I will give to you, and to your seed after you,
the land where you are traveling,
all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession.
I will be their God.”

God said to Abraham,
“For your part, you will keep my covenant,
you and your seed after you throughout their generations.”

Responsorial – Psalm 105.4-5, 6-7, 8-9

R. The Lord has remembered his covenant forever.

Seek the Lord and his strength.
Seek his face forever more.
Remember his marvelous works that he has done;
his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth,

R. The Lord has remembered his covenant forever.

You seed of Abraham, his servant,
You children of Jacob, his chosen ones.
He is the Lord, our God.
His judgments are in all the earth.

R. The Lord has remembered his covenant forever.

He has remembered his covenant forever,
the word which he commanded to a thousand generations,
The covenant which he made with Abraham;
his oath to Isaac.

R. The Lord has remembered his covenant forever.

Gospel – John 8.51-59

Jesus said to the Jews:
“Amen, Amen, I say to you,
if a person keeps my word,
he will never see death.”

Then the Jews said to him,
“Now we know that you have a demon.
Abraham died, and the prophets;
and you say, ‘If a man keeps my word,
he will never taste of death.’
Are you greater than
our father, Abraham, who died?
The prophets died.
Who do you make yourself out to be?”

Jesus answered,
“If I glorify myself,
my glory is nothing.
It is my Father who glorifies me,
of whom you say that he is our God.
You have not known him,
but I know him.
If I said, ‘I do not know him,’
I would be like you, a liar.
But I know him, and keep his word.
Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day.
He saw it, and was glad.”

So the Jews said to him,
“You are not yet fifty years old,
and have you seen Abraham?”
Jesus said to them,
“Most certainly, I tell you,
before Abraham came into existence, I am.”

Therefore they took up stones
to throw at him,
but Jesus was hidden,
and went out of the temple.