Reading 1 Dn 9:4b-10
"Lord, great and awesome God,
you who keep your merciful covenant toward those who love you
and observe your commandments!
We have sinned, been wicked and done evil;
we have rebelled and departed from your commandments and your laws.
We have not obeyed your servants the prophets,
who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes,
our fathers, and all the people of the land.
Justice, O Lord, is on your side;
we are shamefaced even to this day:
we, the men of Judah, the residents of Jerusalem,
and all Israel, near and far,
in all the countries to which you have scattered them
because of their treachery toward you.
O LORD, we are shamefaced, like our kings, our princes, and our fathers,
for having sinned against you.
But yours, O Lord, our God, are compassion and forgiveness!
Yet we rebelled against you
and paid no heed to your command, O LORD, our God,
to live by the law you gave us through your servants the prophets."
Responsorial Psalm Ps 79:8, 9, 11 And 13
R. (see 103:10a) Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.
Remember not against us the iniquities of the past;
may your compassion quickly come to us,
for we are brought very low.
R. Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.
Help us, O God our savior,
because of the glory of your name;
Deliver us and pardon our sins
for your name's sake.
R. Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.
Let the prisoners' sighing come before you;
with your great power free those doomed to death.
Then we, your people and the sheep of your pasture,
will give thanks to you forever;
through all generations we will declare your praise.
R. Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.
Gospel Lk 6:36-38
Jesus said to his disciples:
"Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
"Stop judging and you will not be judged.
Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.
Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Give and gifts will be given to you;
a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,
will be poured into your lap.
For the measure with which you measure
will in return be measured out to you."
Meditation: Luke 6:36-38
“Be merciful.” (Luke 6:36)
Imagine going to the Sacrament of Reconciliation and pouring out your heart in repentance, only to have the priest withhold absolution. This sounds absurd, since we know our sincere confession will result in forgiveness from God and his church. At the same time, we can’t expect God to forgive us if we aren’t willing to forgive other people. Jesus did tell us: “Forgive and you will be forgiven” (Luke 6:37).
But how difficult it can be for our wounded hearts to let go of past hurts! We may find the courage to forgive those who apologize, since we feel that justice has been served. But what about those who don’t apologize? What about those who won’t acknowledge their actions? What if they are so self-absorbed that they’re not even aware of the hurt they have caused? Are we supposed to forgive even those?
Yes.
Mercy is meant to be a free gift you give to someone who may not deserve it—a gift given out of loving kindness, not because the recipient earns it. Do you expect your spouse to “earn” an anniversary gift every year? Do you make your children do extra chores before you will give them birthday presents? Of course not! That’s how Jesus wants us to think about his command to forgive: Mercy should come from a generous heart without waiting for certain criteria to be met.
To forgive someone who has wronged you is one of the greatest gifts you could give Jesus this Lent. It’s also a powerful sign of God’s kingdom on earth. So ask the Holy Spirit to help make you merciful. Some things take time to work through, and God knows how badly you’ve been hurt. But at the same time, don’t wait for the perfect moment or hold out for an apology that may never come. You can begin to speak words of forgiveness even now, even if you don’t fully mean it. With the Spirit’s help, you can come to the point of forgiving so genuinely that you’ll be able to smile at the mention of the person’s name. Now that’s being merciful as your heavenly Father is merciful!
“Holy Spirit, lead me to a place where my heart bathes in your love and overflows with waves of mercy toward others.”
No comments:
Post a Comment