Second Week of Lent
26th February 2024 (Monday)
Psalter: Week 2
Reading of the Day
First Reading: Daniel 9:4b-10
O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery that they have committed against you. To us, O Lord, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you. To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by walking in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.
Psalm 79:8, 9, 11, 13 (R. see Psalm 103:10a)
R/. O Lord, do not treat us according to our sins.
Verse Before The Gospel
V/. Glory and praise to you, O Christ
R/. Glory and praise to you, O Christ
V/. Your words, Lord, are spirit and life, you have the words of eternal life.
R/. Glory and praise to you, O Christ.
Gospel : Luke 6:36-38
At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”
Daily Gospel Reflection
Highlight: The greatest Model!
Guidelines: As the children of God and as the disciples of Christ, we are called to imitate and resemble them. This is the only way to testify to our belonging to them
1. All seek models and we need them. But the question is whether they are right and truly imitable or wrong and detestable. The irony in society is often wrong models are more followed. Models are often associated with excellence in some fields and not necessarily with virtue and character. In other words, the models are not always virtuous or character-people.
2. Thus, we live in a context where there is the influence of wrong models and disconnection between models and virtue. In such a context, today Jesus is proposing to us the greatest and best model to follow.
3. That is God the Father Himself. Jesus specifies also what we must imitate. It is mercy. He admonishes us, “Be merciful as your heavenly Father is merciful”. The first reading from Daniel also highlights this, saying, “To the Lord, our God belong mercy and forgiveness”.
4. Jesus further clarifies what this mercy is. It is a mercy that does not judge, does not condemn. He keeps covenant and steadfast love. He only chastises the people when they go astray. He is never keen on destroying them. He is enormously patient and so gives ample opportunities to His people to repent and return to Him. He is ever generous in His forgiveness and reward.
5. If God is so merciful and forgiving, then what is our duty? The first reading is amply clear about these details. First of all, realize our sinfulness and unworthiness; repent for not obeying the voice of the Lord; for not listening to His servants, the prophets; for rebelling and turning aside from His commandments and rules; for not walking in His laws; for doing wrong and acting wickedly. Realizing and repenting for our infidelity, then seeking His forgiveness.
6. Secondly, live what you experience; give what you receive. If we are not judged and condemned, and if we do not want to be judged and condemned, then do not judge and condemn others. If we are forgiven, then forgive others as well. If God and others are so generous toward us, then we too must be generous to them.
Practice: Let us always bear in mind that we receive as we give; we will get back as we do. Therefore, let us be always just and fair in our measurements toward others. The measure we apply will be the measure that will be applied to us
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