February 18
Thursday, week 1 of Lent
France : St. Bernadette Soubirous, virgin
Feast shown for the year 2027; movable feasts can vary from year to year.
Today the Church observes a Lenten feria, marked simply as Thursday of the First Week of Lent. During Lent, 'ferial' days—those not occupied by a major saint or specific feast—invite the faithful to focus intently on prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, as taught by Christ and handed down through Christian tradition. The readings and prayers for these Lenten weekdays are carefully chosen to support a spirit of repentance and inner renewal, drawing believers closer to God and preparing them for the celebration of the Lord's Resurrection at Easter. The purple (violet) liturgical color highlights the penitential and down-to-earth character of Lent. The Church invites the faithful to participate in daily Mass, prayer, and acts of charity, recalling the forty days Jesus spent in the desert, fasting and praying in preparation for His public ministry. This period also recalls the Israelites’ forty years in the wilderness and serves as a time of spiritual journey for each Christian. While there is no specific saint commemorated today, the focus on the ferial Lenten liturgy offers an opportunity for personal reflection, conversion, and a deeper relationship with God.
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Local variations
- France — St. Bernadette Soubirous, virgin
Liturgical texts of February 18, 2027
The liturgical day
Mass readings
ReadingEst 4, 17n.p-r.aa.bb.gg.hh (Néovulgate)
In those days,
Queen Esther, gripped by deadly anguish,
sought refuge with the Lord.
Prostrating herself on the ground with her attendants from morning until evening,
she said:
"God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob,
you are blessed.
Come to my aid for I am alone,
and I have no other defender but you, Lord.
For I am about to risk danger.
In the books of my ancestors, Lord,
I have learned that those who please you,
you set free forever, Lord.
And now, help me, for I am alone
and I have only you, Lord my God.
Now, come to my aid for I am an orphan,
and place harmonious language on my lips
when I stand in the presence of this lion;
let me find favor in his sight,
and change his heart:
let him begin to hate the one who fights against us,
let him destroy him with all his partisans.
And for us, deliver us from the hands of our enemies;
give us joy after distress
and well-being after suffering."
– The word of the Lord.
PsalmPs 137 (138), 1-2a, 2bc-3, 7c-8
With all my heart, Lord, I thank you:
you have heard the words of my mouth.
I sing to you in the presence of the angels,
toward your holy temple, I bow down.
I give thanks to your name for your love and your truth,
for you exalt your name and your word above all.
The day you answered my call,
you increased the strength in my soul.
Your right hand makes me victorious.
The Lord does everything for me!
Lord, your love is everlasting:
do not abandon the work of your hands.
GospelMt 7, 7-12
At that time,
Jesus said to his disciples:
"Ask, and it will be given to you;
seek, and you will find;
knock, and it will be opened to you.
Indeed, whoever asks receives;
whoever seeks finds;
to whoever knocks, it will be opened.
Or again:
which one of you would give a stone to his son
when he asks for bread?
or give him a snake,
when he asks for a fish?
So if you, who are evil,
know how to give good things to your children,
how much more will your Father in heaven
give good things
to those who ask him!
So, whatever you would want others to do for you,
do also for them:
that is what the Law and the Prophets say."
– Let us acclaim the Word of God.
Liturgical texts: © AELF — aelf.org