Daily Reading for Tuesday, February 21st, 2023

Reading 1, Sirach 2:1-11

¹ My child, if you aspire to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for an ordeal.

² Be sincere of heart, be steadfast, and do not be alarmed when disaster comes.

³ Cling to him and do not leave him, so that you may be honoured at the end of your days.

⁴ Whatever happens to you, accept it, and in the uncertainties of your humble state, be patient,

⁵ since gold is tested in the fire, and the chosen in the furnace of humiliation.

⁶ Trust him and he will uphold you, follow a straight path and hope in him.

⁷ You who fear the Lord, wait for his mercy; do not turn aside, for fear you fall.

⁸ You who fear the Lord, trust him, and you will not be robbed of your reward.

⁹ You who fear the Lord, hope for those good gifts of his, everlasting joy and mercy.

¹⁰ Look at the generations of old and see: whoever trusted in the Lord and was put to shame? Or whoever, steadfastly fearing him, was forsaken? Or whoever called to him and was ignored?

¹¹ For the Lord is compassionate and merciful, he forgives sins and saves in the time of distress.

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 37:3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40

³ Put your trust in Yahweh and do right, make your home in the land and live secure.

⁴ Make Yahweh your joy and he will give you your heart's desires.

¹⁸ The lives of the just are in Yahweh's care, their birthright will endure for ever;

¹⁹ they will not be put to shame when bad times come, in time of famine they will have plenty.

²⁷ Turn your back on evil and do good, you will have a home for ever,

²⁸ for Yahweh loves justice and will not forsake his faithful. Evil-doers will perish eternally, the descendants of the wicked be annihilated,

³⁹ The upright have Yahweh for their Saviour, their refuge in times of trouble;

⁴⁰ Yahweh helps them and rescues them, he will rescue them from the wicked, and save them because they take refuge in him.