Tuesday - February 28, 2023
-Catechism of the Council of Trent
TODAY'S READINGS
Tuesday of the First Week of Lent
Lectionary: 225
Reading I
Is 55:10-11
Thus says the LORD:
Just as from the heavens
the rain and snow come down
And do not return there
till they have watered the earth,
making it fertile and fruitful,
Giving seed to the one who sows
and bread to the one who eats,
So shall my word be
that goes forth from my mouth;
It shall not return to me void,
but shall do my will,
achieving the end for which I sent it.
Responsorial Psalm PS 34:4-5, 6-7, 16-17, 18-19
R. (18b) From all their distress God rescues the just.
Glorify the LORD with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
R. From all their distress God rescues the just.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
R. From all their distress God rescues the just.
The LORD has eyes for the just,
and ears for their cry.
The LORD confronts the evildoers,
to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.
R. From all their distress God rescues the just.
When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
and from all their distress he rescues them.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
R. From all their distress God rescues the just.
Verse Before the Gospel
One does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.
Gospel Mt 6:7-15
Jesus said to his disciples:
"In praying, do not babble like the pagans,
who think that they will be heard because of their many words.
Do not be like them.
Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
"This is how you are to pray:
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy Kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
"If you forgive men their transgressions,
your heavenly Father will forgive you.
But if you do not forgive men,
neither will your Father forgive your transgressions."
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The Healing Power of Forgiveness
We all want to have stronger faith. However, this involves becoming stronger in our holiness. We have been made holy by the Holy Spirit, whom we received in fullness during our Baptisms, but learning to live out who we really are is not easy in today’s world. And yet it’s essential for increasing our faith and participating in the miraculous power of God.
Holiness requires struggling against the easier way of life that our flesh nature prefers. It requires effort to, for example, remain in the spirit of love even while others commit sins against us. Our faith is tested in how we handle those we dislike: the ex-spouse, the abusive priest, the employer who fired you, or the friend who betrayed you with no desire to make amends.
In the “Our Father” prayer that Jesus gives us in today’s Gospel passage, he puts special emphasis on forgiveness. By asking God to forgive us for our sins the same way as we forgive those who’ve sinned against us, we’re taking our holiness very seriously. The measure of mercy we give to others is the measure we’re asking God to give us, but don’t we usually prefer to receive more mercy than we give?
It’s not that God withholds forgiveness from us like a bribe to make us become more forgiving — he already forgave us 2000 years ago when Jesus died on the cross on our behalf. The fact is, we separate ourselves from God’s forgiveness whenever we refuse to forgive. In this stormy sea of our unmerciful attitude, we find it hard to believe, deep inside, that we deserve to be forgiven any more than we believe someone else deserves our forgiveness.
Jesus is challenging us to love ourselves at a holier, healthier level. Giving forgiveness frees us to enjoy life; it frees us from dependence on what others do or don’t do to us. And by entering the world of forgiveness, we open ourselves to all of the love that God has for us.
It’s okay to not enjoy forgiving others, especially when they are not remorseful. Jesus wanted to avoid his cross, too. But the only way to resurrection is through the cross.
To grow in faith, we have to stay close to Jesus in both good times and bad, when his hands are reaching out to us with healing love and when his hands are nailed to the cross. By choosing to forgive those who show no remorse, we are united to the sacrifice that Jesus made for us: We are forgiven, we are saved, we are healed.
Identify the people you haven’t really forgiven yet. Make the decision to forgive them, then meditate upon the pain that Jesus suffered in love for you. Realize how much compassion it took for Jesus to do that for you, even though you did not deserve it. Remind yourself that he continues to love you this much every day, no matter what, whether you’re sinning or not.
Today's Prayer
Father, help me to surrender my desire for justice when I have been hurt. Encourage me to love and to forgive always. Amen.
The mother of Jesus promised St. Dominic that, “one day through the rosary & the scapular I shall save the world!”
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