TODAY'S READINGS
TUESDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK OF LENT
Lectionary: 238
Dn 3:25, 34-43
Azariah stood up in the fire and prayed aloud:
“For your name’s sake, O Lord, do not deliver us up forever,
or make void your covenant.
Do not take away your mercy from us,
for the sake of Abraham, your beloved,
Isaac your servant, and Israel your holy one,
To whom you promised to multiply their offspring
like the stars of heaven,
or the sand on the shore of the sea.
For we are reduced, O Lord, beyond any other nation,
brought low everywhere in the world this day
because of our sins.
We have in our day no prince, prophet, or leader,
no burnt offering, sacrifice, oblation, or incense,
no place to offer first fruits, to find favor with you.
But with contrite heart and humble spirit
let us be received;
As though it were burnt offerings of rams and bullocks,
or thousands of fat lambs,
So let our sacrifice be in your presence today
as we follow you unreservedly;
for those who trust in you cannot be put to shame.
And now we follow you with our whole heart,
we fear you and we pray to you.
Do not let us be put to shame,
but deal with us in your kindness and great mercy.
Deliver us by your wonders,
and bring glory to your name, O Lord.”
Responsorial Psalm 25:4-5ab, 6 and 7bc, 8-9
R. (6a) Remember your mercies, O Lord.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.
R. Remember your mercies, O Lord.
Remember that your compassion, O LORD,
and your kindness are from of old.
In your kindness remember me,
because of your goodness, O LORD.
R. Remember your mercies, O Lord.
Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
he teaches the humble his way.
R. Remember your mercies, O Lord.
Verse Before the Gospel Jl 2:12-13
Even now, says the LORD,
return to me with your whole heart;
for I am gracious and merciful.
Gospel Mt 18:21-35
Peter approached Jesus and asked him,
“Lord, if my brother sins against me,
how often must I forgive him?
As many as seven times?”
Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.
That is why the Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king
who decided to settle accounts with his servants.
When he began the accounting,
a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount.
Since he had no way of paying it back,
his master ordered him to be sold,
along with his wife, his children, and all his property,
in payment of the debt.
At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said,
‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’
Moved with compassion the master of that servant
let him go and forgave him the loan.
When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants
who owed him a much smaller amount.
He seized him and started to choke him, demanding,
‘Pay back what you owe.’
Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him,
‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’
But he refused.
Instead, he had him put in prison
until he paid back the debt.
Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened,
they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master
and reported the whole affair.
His master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant!
I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to.
Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant,
as I had pity on you?’
Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers
until he should pay back the whole debt.
So will my heavenly Father do to you,
unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart.”
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HOW MUCH MERCY DO YOU WANT?
Giving forgiveness is necessary for receiving forgiveness, says Jesus in today's Gospel passage. We need to take an honest look at the areas of unforgiveness that still exist in us and then let go of them so that we can journey more fully into God's mercy.
Do you think that God cannot or will not forgive a particular sin you've committed? Do you repeatedly confess the same past sin in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, even though you haven't repeated the sin itself? If so, you're holding a grudge against yourself and you're closing yourself off from the mercy that God is already giving you.
Do you hate yourself for your sinfulness and failures? Are you jealous of those who seem holier or better than you? Then you're not being merciful toward yourself, and God's mercy cannot touch you, although you long for it.
Do you think that God isn't forgiving the sins of those who have hurt you? Are you quick to complain about others? Is your anger interfering with a joyful, holy life? Then you're holding grudges. Righteous anger is the embracing of our calling to do something about the damage and injustices of sin while hoping for the sinner's repentance; sinful anger doesn't lead to the improvement of anything and it hopes for the sinner's demise.
Forgiveness doesn't mean condoning a sin, nor does it mean permitting the sin to continue. Choosing to forgive (it's a decision, not a feeling) is a spiritual uncorking of our hearts so that unforgiveness no longer blocks the love that God is trying to pour into us. Either we're clogged up with grudges and fear or we're open to giving and receiving love.
Giving love to those who aren't loving us frees us to receive God's perfect love, which is infinitely greater.
St. Peter Chrysologus said: "If you want to receive, give. If you ask for yourself what you deny to others, your asking is a mockery .... You will not be allowed to keep what you have refused to give to others."
If we want God's mercy after we sin, we have to give mercy whenever someone sins against us. If we refuse to give mercy to others -- if we complain rather than reach out with love, if we seek revenge instead of offering to help -- we're not open to God's mercy.
God never denies us his love; he cares all the time, no matter what! But for us to receive mercy, we have to be a bottle with a hole at both ends -- God's mercy flows into us so that his mercy can flow out of us to others, and at the same time, more mercy is flowing into us.
Pope Saint John Paul II offered this prayer for you during his papacy: "May Christ's followers ... abound in works of mercy; may they be compassionate towards all, that they themselves may obtain indulgence and forgiveness from You" (Dives in Misericordia -- "The Mercy of God").
Today's Prayer
Beloved Lord, may Your Spirit of Love remind me of my weaknesses and of the love I find only in You. I want to look at those who hurt me with mercy and be always willing to forgive. Amen.
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The mother of Jesus promised St. Dominic that, “one day through the rosary & the scapular I shall save the world!”
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