The WORD today 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 when 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.
How
hard is giving forgiveness for me? Do I find it hard to extend forgiveness to
others? Who is the one person I know I should forgive? Likewise, do I ask forgiveness
from God? Do I recognize that I always sin and hurt him, and that I need to ask
for forgiveness from him?
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 17 2020
«
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.”
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.”
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