March 13, 2017: Monday, 2nd week, Lent
- 'Sheep' tie bar: "We the sheep of your pasture will give thanks..." (psalm)
- 'Ruler' tie bar: "The measure you measure will be measured to you." (gospel)
- White shirt, tie pin, socks): Transfiguration Sunday gospel
- Purple tie and suspenders: Lenten season
Listen
- Psalm 79: For the glory of Your name/ Celoni: sheet music
- For the glory (Psalm 79)/ Monaghan
- Psalm 79 in Hebrew
Parish visit: Jesus has two faces: one brilliant in the Transfiguration, the other, of his Passion and Crucifixion, when he was made sin for us. The Church is on the path towards Easter, towards the Resurrection. With the confidence of the Transfiguration we go forward, seeing this brilliant, beautiful face, the same face as the Resurrection and the face we'll find in heaven.
Happy anniversary!
- Dn 9:4b-10 “Lord, we've sinned, but compassion and forgiveness are yours!”
- Ps 79:8-9, 11, 13 "Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins." O God, help us, deliver us, and pardon our sins; then we'll will give thanks and praise you.
- Lk 6:36-38 Be merciful like your Father. Stop judging, stop condemning, forgive, and give; the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.
Reflect
- Creighton: God loves us despite our disobedience and rebelliousness; we're only asked to love God and keep his commandments. We need to dwell on our propensity to drift away from God's love and commandments, and dwell on God's saving love and forgiveness. If we consider our interactions with others, we must ask whether we're still the sinners Daniel wrote about? Do we forgive, not judge or condemn? May we become more welcoming to the oppressed and needy. May we open our hearts and arms to those who have been cast adrift....
- One Bread, One Body: "Abba's children": We, God's children, must be compassionate and merciful like our Father, "good to the ungrateful and the wicked." "The Father judges no one but has assigned all judgment to the Son." Then we can forgive and give. Jesus taught us to ask him to forgive us. He taught us to keep forgiving others; we can by his power. Like the prodigal son's father, we can give....
- Passionist: Scholars suggest Jesus is telling us to hear of God's mercy and leave judgment to God. I want to challenge myself to see with the mind of Christ. Is it fair that I suffer through a hurt while the one who hurt me gets off? May we lean into the merciful love offered us from the Cross and take a step towards forgiveness, starting now. Let us bring God's justice to birth....
- DailyScripture.net: "Be merciful like your Father": Jesus took our sins on himself so we could receive pardon, freedom, and healing. God's mercies never cease, but anger, resentment, and unwillingness to forgive can keep us from receiving his mercy and healing. The Lord offers us freedom to walk in his way of love and forgiveness, mercy and goodness. We are called to be merciful as our heavenly Father has been merciful to us. Do you quickly forgive those who wrong you or cause pain? Daniel prayed daily for his people, and his persecutors. He was 'shamefaced' because of his people's sins and unfaithfulness, but instead of judging them, he begged God for compassion, pardon, and restoration. Our shame will turn to joy and hope if we confess our sin and ask for God's love and mercy.
"We judge with mixed motives, impure hearts, and prejudiced minds. "Don't judge unjustly, so that you may not be judged" is like "Forgive, and it will be forgiven you." One who has judged with justice should forgive in accordance with grace, so that when he's judged with justice, he may receive forgiveness through grace. Don't seek vengeance or condemn from appearances or opinion, but admonish and advise" (Ephrem the Syrian, Commentary on Tatian's Diatessaron 6.18B, paraphrased).
True Christians show grace, treating others as God wishes them treated, with forbearance, mercy, and kindness. God shows his goodness and love to all, always seeking what's best for each of us and teaching us to seek others' good. We must show others the kindness and mercy God has shown us. Our prayer for those who do us ill breaks the power of revenge and releases the power of love. God gives us power and grace to love those who harm us; he works in and through us by his Spirit, to purify us and help us do the right. God's love conquers our hurts, fears, and prejudices; it can heal, restore, and transform us. Only Christ's cross and victory can free us from hatred, revenge, and resentment and give us courage to overcome evil with good.
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