Daily Reading for Sunday, March 4th, 2012

Reading 1, Genesis 22:1-2, 9, 10-13, 15-18

¹ It happened some time later that God put Abraham to the test. 'Abraham, Abraham!' he called. 'Here I am,' he replied.

² God said, 'Take your son, your only son, your beloved Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, where you are to offer him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I shall point out to you.'

⁹ When they arrived at the place which God had indicated to him, Abraham built an altar there, and arranged the wood. Then he bound his son and put him on the altar on top of the wood.

¹⁰ Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to kill his son.

¹¹ But the angel of Yahweh called to him from heaven. 'Abraham, Abraham!' he said. 'Here I am,' he replied.

¹² 'Do not raise your hand against the boy,' the angel said. 'Do not harm him, for now I know you fear God. You have not refused me your own beloved son.'

¹³ Then looking up, Abraham saw a ram caught by its horns in a bush. Abraham took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son.

¹⁵ The angel of Yahweh called Abraham a second time from heaven.

¹⁶ 'I swear by my own self, Yahweh declares, that because you have done this, because you have not refused me your own beloved son,

¹⁷ I will shower blessings on you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven and the grains of sand on the seashore. Your descendants will gain possession of the gates of their enemies.

¹⁸ All nations on earth will bless themselves by your descendants, because you have obeyed my command.'

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 116:10, 15, 16-17, 18-19

¹⁰ My trust does not fail even when I say, 'I am completely wretched.'

¹⁵ Costly in Yahweh's sight is the death of his faithful.

¹⁶ I beg you, Yahweh! I am your servant, I am your servant and my mother was your servant; you have undone my fetters.

¹⁷ I shall offer you a sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of Yahweh.

¹⁸ I shall fulfil my vows to Yahweh, witnessed by all his people,

¹⁹ in the courts of the house of Yahweh, in your very heart, Jerusalem.