Rejoice, Jerusalem! Gather together, all you who love her! Filled with joy, rejoice with joy, you who are sad, and you will be satisfied at the springs of your consolation (Is 66,10s).

We are gathered to celebrate the Eucharist, in the joy of belonging to the Lord's people. Out of love for humanity, God sent us his Son, who achieved for us the grace of full life and salvation. On the way to Easter, let us draw closer to the light of Jesus, so that he inspires us to resolve discord and create social friendship among our brothers and sisters. Responsorial Psalm: 136(137) May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth / if I forget you, Jerusalem! 1. By the rivers of Babylon † we sat weeping, / longing for Zion. / In the willows there / we hung our harps. – R. 2. For it was there that the oppressors / asked us for our songs; / our guards demanded / joy in sadness: / “Sing for us today / some song of Zion!” – R. 3. How should we sing † the songs of the Lord / in a foreign land? / If I ever forget you, Jerusalem, / may my hand dry up! – R. 4. May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth / if I don't remember you! / If not Jerusalem / my great joy! – R. Second Reading: Ephesians 2:4-10 Reading of Saint Paul's letter to the Ephesians – Brothers, 4God is rich in mercy. Because of the great love with which he loved us, 5when we were dead because of our sins, he made us alive with Christ. It is by grace that you are saved! 6God raised us up with Christ and seated us in heaven by virtue of our union with Jesus Christ. 7Thus, through the kindness he showed us in Jesus Christ, God wanted to show, throughout future centuries, the incomparable riches of his grace. 8For it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith. And this does not come from you; It is a gift from God! 9It does not come from works, so that no one can boast. 10For he is the one who made us; We were created in Jesus Christ for good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. - Word of the Lord. Gospel: John 3,14-21 Praise and honor to you, Lord Jesus. God so loved the world, / that he gave it his only Son; / whoever believes in him / will have eternal life (John 3:16). – R. Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to John - At that time, Jesus said to Nicodemus: 14 “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that all who believe in him may have the eternal life. 16For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but so that the world might be saved through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is already condemned, because he did not believe in the name of the only begotten Son. 19Now this is the judgment: Light has come into the world, but men chose darkness over light, because their deeds were evil. 20Whoever does evil hates the light and does not approach the light, lest his actions be exposed. 21But whoever acts according to the truth comes to the light, so that it may be evident that his actions are carried out in God.” – Word of salvation. Reflection: Looking at the bronze serpent, raised on a pole, saved those bitten by poisonous snakes from sudden death (cf. Nm 21:8-9). It is the image of Jesus exalted on the cross to give eternal life. Jesus highlights the essence of salvation: God loved the people of this world so much that he gave them his most precious gift, his “only Son”, so that they could have a full life. Jesus did not come to condemn, but to save. He is the light that illuminates everyone and gives them the conditions to become children of God. Not believing in the Father's loving gift is refusing salvation. By coming into the world, Jesus provokes judgment, that is, the separation between those who believe and those who do not believe. In the face of Jesus' words and practice, no one can remain neutral: everyone must take a position, for Jesus or against him.

Rejoice, Jerusalem! Gather together, all you who love her! Filled with joy, rejoice with joy, you who are sad, and you will be satisfied at the springs of your consolation (Is 66,10s).

We are gathered to celebrate the Eucharist, in the joy of belonging to the Lord's people. Out of love for humanity, God sent us his Son, who achieved for us the grace of full life and salvation. On the way to Easter, let us draw closer to the light of Jesus, so that he inspires us to resolve discord and create social friendship among our brothers and sisters. Responsorial Psalm: 136(137) May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth / if I forget you, Jerusalem! 1. By the rivers of Babylon † we sat weeping, / longing for Zion. / In the willows there / we hung our harps. – R. 2. For it was there that the oppressors / asked us for our songs; / our guards demanded / joy in sadness: / “Sing for us today / some song of Zion!” – R. 3. How should we sing † the songs of the Lord / in a foreign land? / If I ever forget you, Jerusalem, / may my hand dry up! – R. 4. May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth / if I don't remember you! / If not Jerusalem / my great joy! – R. Second Reading: Ephesians 2:4-10 Reading of Saint Paul's letter to the Ephesians – Brothers, 4God is rich in mercy. Because of the great love with which he loved us, 5when we were dead because of our sins, he made us alive with Christ. It is by grace that you are saved! 6God raised us up with Christ and seated us in heaven by virtue of our union with Jesus Christ. 7Thus, through the kindness he showed us in Jesus Christ, God wanted to show, throughout future centuries, the incomparable riches of his grace. 8For it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith. And this does not come from you; It is a gift from God! 9It does not come from works, so that no one can boast. 10For he is the one who made us; We were created in Jesus Christ for good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. - Word of the Lord. Gospel: John 3,14-21 Praise and honor to you, Lord Jesus. God so loved the world, / that he gave it his only Son; / whoever believes in him / will have eternal life (John 3:16). – R. Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to John - At that time, Jesus said to Nicodemus: 14 “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that all who believe in him may have the eternal life. 16For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but so that the world might be saved through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is already condemned, because he did not believe in the name of the only begotten Son. 19Now this is the judgment: Light has come into the world, but men chose darkness over light, because their deeds were evil. 20Whoever does evil hates the light and does not approach the light, lest his actions be exposed. 21But whoever acts according to the truth comes to the light, so that it may be evident that his actions are carried out in God.” – Word of salvation. Reflection: Looking at the bronze serpent, raised on a pole, saved those bitten by poisonous snakes from sudden death (cf. Nm 21:8-9). It is the image of Jesus exalted on the cross to give eternal life. Jesus highlights the essence of salvation: God loved the people of this world so much that he gave them his most precious gift, his “only Son”, so that they could have a full life. Jesus did not come to condemn, but to save. He is the light that illuminates everyone and gives them the conditions to become children of God. Not believing in the Father's loving gift is refusing salvation. By coming into the world, Jesus provokes judgment, that is, the separation between those who believe and those who do not believe. In the face of Jesus' words and practice, no one can remain neutral: everyone must take a position, for Jesus or against him.