Catholic Missal of the day: Thursday, March 26 2026

Thursday of the Fifth week of Lent

Book of Genesis

When Abram prostrated himself, God spoke to him:
"My covenant with you is this: you are to become the father of a host of nations.
No longer shall you be called Abram; your name shall be Abraham, for I am making you the father of a host of nations.
I will render you exceedingly fertile; I will make nations of you; kings shall stem from you.
I will maintain my covenant with you and your descendants after you throughout the ages as an everlasting pact, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.
I will give to you and to your descendants after you the land in which you are now staying, the whole land of Canaan, as a permanent possession; and I will be their God."
God also said to Abraham: "On your part, you and your descendants after you must keep my covenant throughout the ages.

Psalms

Look to the LORD in his strength;
seek to serve him constantly.
Recall the wondrous deeds that he has wrought,
his portents, and the judgments he has uttered.
You descendants of Abraham, his servants,
sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He, the LORD, is our God;
throughout the earth his judgments prevail.
He remembers forever his covenant
which he made binding for a thousand generations.
Which he entered into with Abraham
and by his oath to Isaac.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John

Jesus said to the Jews: "Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever keeps my word will never see death."
(So) the Jews said to him, "Now we are sure that you are possessed. Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, 'Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.'
Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? Or the prophets, who died? Who do you make yourself out to be?"
Jesus answered, "If I glorify myself, my glory is worth nothing; but it is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, 'He is our God.'
You do not know him, but I know him. And if I should say that I do not know him, I would be like you a liar. But I do know him and I keep his word.
Abraham your father 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 you have seen Abraham?"
Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM."
So they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area.

St. Ludger(Bishop (c. 743-809))

SAINT LUDGER Bishop (c. 743-809) St. Ludger was a nobleman from Friesland. He was born around 743 and was educated by St. Gregory, St. Boniface's disciple. Ludger studied at St. Gregory's monastery in Utrech. He wore the clerical tonsure. In response to the Holy Spirit's prompting, he trained for four and a half years with Alcuincin in York. In 773, Ludger returned to Friesland. When St. Gregory passed away in 776, Ludger was ordained a priest. After his ordination, Fr. Ludger preached the Gospel in Friesland. Providentially, he founded several monasteries and churches. When the pagan Saxons ravaged the country, Fr. Ludger travelled to Rome to consult Pope Adrian I. The Saxons opposed foreign influence and Fr. Ludger was forced to retire to Monte Casino for three and a half years. Hence, Fr. Ludger donned the habit of the Order and conformed to its rule. In 787, Charlemagne defeated the Saxons and conquered Friesland and the coast of the Germanic Ocean as far as Denmark. Fr. Ludger returned to East Friesland and converted the Saxons to the Faith, including the province of Westphalia. Fr. Ludger founded the monastery of Werden, twenty-nine miles from Cologne. In 802, Hildebald, the Archbishop of Cologne, consecrated Fr. Ludger to the Bishopric of Munster. Bp. Ludger afterward appointed five cantons from Friesland, and founded the Monastery of Helmstad in the duchy of Brunswick. When charges were brought against Bp. Ludger for wasting the Church's donations, he was summoned to court by Emperor Charlemagne. The chamberlain sent to him was told that Bp. Ludger would follow after prayer. By the time Bp. Ludger finished praying, Emperor Charlemagne grew emotional and said, "Why did you make me wait so long?" Bp. Ludger replied that his respect for his Majesty was profound, but God was infinitely above him. While we are occupied with Him, it is our duty to forget everything else. This answer, and Bp. Ludger's account of himself, made the Emperor dismiss the charges. St. Ludger was favored with the gifts of miracles and prophecy. His last sickness, though painful, did not hinder his daily activities. Up to the last day of his life, Passion Sunday, Bp. Ludger preached very early in the morning, said Mass towards nine, and preached again before night. He passed away on March 26, midnight, at the hour he foretold.

Bl. Maddalena Caterina Morano (1847-1908)()

BLESSED MADDALENA CATERINA MORANO (1847-1908) Blessed Maddalena Caterina Morano grew up with a large family in Chieri, Italy. Her father and older sister passed away when she was 8 years old. She began working and receiviy an education. In 1866, she received her diploma as an elementary school teacher. Maddalena studied Christian doctrine and wanted to be a saint. She postponed entering religious life to provide for her family. She worked as a rural school teacher in Montaldo and taught catechism in the local parish for 12 years. In 1878, after securing her mother's retirement, Maddalena entered the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, a congregation founded six years earlier by Don Bosco. Maddalena was a model religious and took first vows after a brief but intense novitiate. In 1881, with Don Bosco's blessing, she was sent to Trecastagni (Diocese of Catania), Sicily, and put in charge of an existing institute for women, to which she gave a new orientation inspired by Salesian principles. Sicily became Mother Maddalena's second home, where she carried out a varied and fruitful apostolate. She opened new houses, set up after-school activities and sewing classes, trained teachers, and conducted apostolic activities. Her real love, though, was for catechism class, since she was convinced that the formation of Christian conscience was the basis of personal maturity and all social improvement. She coordinated catechetical instruction in eighteen of Catania's churches and trained lay and religious catechists. Mother Maddalena spent 25 years in Sicily and served her community as local and provincial superior. She was an attentive mother and cared for many local vocations, faithfully living the charism of Mother Maria Mazzarello, co-foundress of the institute. She passed away in Catania at the age of 61, on March 26, 1908.She was beatified on November 5, 1994, at Catania, by Pope John Paul II.

St. Margaret Clitherow()

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Category: Mass by Year / Catholic Missal 2026 / Catholic Missal of march 2026