Monday, April 3 : Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 21,17-27.
Jesus left them, went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.
In the morning, when he returned to the city, he was hungry.
And seeing a fig tree by the side of the road, he went to it and found nothing at all on it but leaves. Then he said to it, ‘May no fruit ever come from you again!’ And the fig tree withered at once.
When the disciples saw it, they were amazed, saying, ‘How did the fig tree wither at once?’
Jesus answered them, ‘Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, “Be lifted up and thrown into the sea”, it will be done.
Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive.’
When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, ‘By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?’
Jesus said to them, ‘I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things.
Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?’ And they argued with one another, ‘If we say, “From heaven”, he will say to us, “Why then did you not believe him?”
But if we say, “Of human origin”, we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.’
So they answered Jesus, ‘We do not know.’ And he said to them, ‘Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
maronite readings – rosary,team