Monday - March 06, 2023
TODAY'S READINGS
Monday of the Second Week in Lent
Lectionary: 230
Reading I
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.
Verse Before the Gospel
Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life;
you have the words of everlasting life.
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."
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The Victorious Gift of Mercy
Be merciful, don’t judge, don’t condemn, freely forgive, and be generous, says Jesus in today’s Gospel reading. This is what it means to love unconditionally.
We agree. We nod our heads in willing assent, but we frown, because we often fail. Do you know why we fail? It’s because we don’t treat ourselves the way we know we should treat others.
How merciful are you toward yourself? When you make a mistake, or when you discover that you’re wrong, or when you realize that you’ve sinned, how do you handle it? After making amends, do you still condemn yourself with impatience, unkindness or self-loathing?
How quickly do you forgive yourself?
We can’t give to others more mercy and compassion than we give to ourselves.
When we lack mercy, we become judgmental. How judgmental are you about your own life? When someone else’s prayers are answered, do you judge yourself as unlikely to receive a similar response from God? When you’re asked to do a service for your parish or community, do you judge yourself as unqualified and untalented, even though the one who asked you says you can do it?
We judge others as harshly as we judge ourselves.
What kind of a sentence do you impose on yourself after you’ve passed judgment? How long lasting is your self-condemnation? Are you still punishing yourself for sins you confessed in the Sacrament of Reconciliation? The right attitude — the faith-filled attitude — is one of learning from the past in a spirit of compassionate self-encouragement.
After judging and imposing a punishment, how soon do you grant yourself a pardon? We can’t restore relationships with others if we can’t let go of our own past to embrace who we’ve become.
How generous are you toward yourself? Do you take time to rest from hard work? Do you make sure that your needs are met without waiting for others to read your mind? Do you applaud yourself for the good that you do? This is not prideful as long as we realize that our ability to do good comes from God.
To grow in faith, treat yourself with mercy, judging your sins but not your personhood. Forgive yourself so that you’ll become generous in love. Love yourself so that you’ll fill up with God, since he is love. Then think about how this affects your faith!
The more we give God’s love to ourselves, the more we will give it to others. And then, more is returned to us. We’re the ones who determine how big is our measuring cup. The measure with which we give to others is the same as what we give to ourselves. This isn’t selfishness, not unless we keep it all for ourselves.
Today's Prayer
Lord Jesus, may Your Holy Spirit purify my heart to be Your instrument of forgiveness, mercy, and charity. 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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