The
WORD today
(see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/030618.cfm)
reminds me that I should be quick to forgive others just as God is quick to
forgive me.
It is not always easy to
forgive. When people hurt us, when people say bad things about us, when we are
abused or exploited, when we are treated unjustly, and when people break our
trust, we get hurt. And we are badly hurt, it is very hard to forgive. However,
if we take a look at these reasons, they are all dependent on us. They are
based on how we feel. They are caused by what happened to us. This is why it is
very hard to forgive.
It is hard
to forgive when we love ourselves more than we love others.
In the gospel, Jesus tells us
that we should always forgive others - more than the prescribed times in their
laws back then. He further explains this with the parable of the unforgiving
servant. The master forgave him for all his debts, yet he was unwilling to
forgive someone who owed him a tiny portion of what he owed the master. So he
was punished.
We all sin. We all hurt God. In
a big way. Yet he still forgives us always. However, we are not as forgiving to
others, even if God forgives our great sins. We love ourselves too much. We love ourselves more than we love God
and others so we find it hard to forgive. We ignore God's
goodness and command, and instead focus on
ourselves - our hurts and pains, our feelings, that's why we find it hard to
forgive others. And as we wallow in these negative things, our
hearts are hardened and turned
away from the loving presence of God. As we harbor ill feelings and hurts in
our hearts, they occupy space that could
have been taken by God -
space that God could have filled with love,
joy and peace.
In the last part of the gospel,
we see that God will not forgive us if we do not forgive others - not because
his forgiveness is conditional, but because
he cannot forgive those who are not asking for forgiveness. If we
focus on ourselves and our hurts, and not forgive the sins of others, then we
are denying our sins before God. We are focusing on ourselves, not on asking
forgiveness from God. So we cannot be forgiven.
May we be encouraged to focus
on God's love and forgive others just as God freely forgives us.
Father God,
Thank you for
today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another chance to love
you. Thank you for the reminder. Thank you for your love that always forgives
me. Sorry for the times I find it hard to forgive others. Sorry for the times I
focus on myself, my hurts, and not on you. Sorry for loving myself more than I
love you. Help me be always ready and willing to forgive others. As I feel your
love and mercy and forgiveness, may it break the hardness of my heart and
enable me to forgive others, no matter what they have done to me. Amen.
Blessed
day!
In
Christ,
-g-
March 6, 2018
Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent
Lectionary: 238
Lectionary: 238
Reading 1 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.”
“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 PS 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.
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.
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."
"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."
No comments:
Post a Comment