Tag: mercy

Monday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 6:6-11)

On a certain sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and taught, and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely to see if he would cure on the sabbath so that they might discover a reason to accuse him.

The scene Luke sets in today’s Gospel presents the trickery of the Pharisees in their attempt to catch Jesus transgressing Mosaic law. Without their approaching Jesus directly, the Pharisees have playing out before them what they believe is a perfect dilemma: Will Jesus cure on the sabbath? Luke goes on to tell us that Jesus understood their intentions, and asking the man to stand before them, he said to the Pharisees: “I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?” Jesus asks the man to stretch out his hand, and he cures him. But the Pharisees become furious, and they discuss together, as Luke says, “what they might do to Jesus.”

Father in heaven, I turn to you in today’s readings to know you better, to come nearer to the source and end of love itself. “Only in God be at rest, my soul, for from him comes my hope,” I read in today’s psalms. You, Lord, are the sabbath rest that my soul seeks. Just as the man with the withered hand put his trust in Jesus, I also stretch out my hand to receive your mercy and healing. Taking refuge in you, enveloped in your love, give me the opportunity today and the grace to be a refuge to others and to be a witness to the mercy and self-sacrificial love of Christ.

From the first reading: “It is he whom we proclaim, admonishing everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“There am I in the midst of them.” | Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 18:15-20)

Jesus said to his disciples: “Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

In today’s Gospel as in the first reading from Ezekiel, God shows his desire to bring all people to him in unity. Jesus tells the disciples to admonish and resolve any wrong done to them among their brothers and sisters, emphasizing forgiveness and mercy. “If your brother sins against you,” Jesus says, “go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother.” Jesus continues to speak of fraternal correction and guides the disciples toward reconciliation through the witness of mediators and before the Church. Through Christ’s presence and the action of the Holy Spirit, the process of reconciliation and decision-making among members of the Church is oriented toward God. Jesus promises that where two or three are gathered in his name, he is present among them.

Father in heaven, be my help today in orienting my words and actions toward you. Give me the opportunity to realize it is reconciliation to you and with others that you always offer because you are love itself. Let me take sin for what it is, an obstacle in receiving and expressing love. If necessary, help me do as you ask Ezekiel to do: “dissuade the wicked from his way.” So when sin divides, and it will, guide me to address offenses with the aim of reconciliation and resolution. As the psalmist says, you are our God and we are the people you shepherd, the flock you guide. I ask you for the grace to seek unity and reconciliation with others as you do with your people. “Love does no evil to the neighbor,” says Saint Paul, “hence, love is the fulfillment of the law.”

From the Gospel acclamation: “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Memorial of Saint Peter Claver, Priest

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 6:1-5)

Jesus said to the Pharisees in reply, “Have you not read what David did when he and those who were with him were hungry? How he went into the house of God, took the bread of offering, which only the priests could lawfully eat, ate of it, and shared it with his companions?” Then he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.”

Jesus responds to the Pharisees who criticize the disciples as they walk through a field, picking the heads of grain and eating them. It’s not difficult to imagine this scene. The Pharisees are on their way somewhere, and they stop in their tracks when they notice the disciples doing something unlawful. In response to the criticism of his disciples’ conduct, Jesus argues that human needs, including satisfying hunger and performing works of mercy, take precedence over the sabbath. In the Gospel according to Mark, Jesus says: “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.” In today’s Gospel, Jesus identifies the Pharisees’ confining legalistic understanding of the sabbath and offers a deeper understanding rooted in mercy, compassion, and fulfillment of the Father’s will.

Father in heaven, you look first to the care of your people over manmade rules, rules that become distorted through fallen human nature. When I am overzealous to go to the defense of a house rule or certain habit, help me slow down and think through what I am about to say or do. Is there instead an opportunity for me to be like your Son and offer mercy? When I am keen to point out someone’s wrongdoing, give me the grace to recognize that everything I have is from you. In the sabbath, as with all your good gifts, help me be merciful as you are merciful. Saint Peter Claver, pray for us!

From the Gospel acclamation: “I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord; no one comes to the Father except through me.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Saturday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 19:13-15)

Children were brought to Jesus that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked them, but Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” After he placed his hands on them, he went away.

The commitment of the Israelites to the LORD in the first reading echoes in the Gospel passage as the children come willingly to Jesus to be blessed. Just as Joshua and his household commit to serving the LORD, Jesus suggests that the Kingdom of heaven belongs to “such as these,” the ones who come willingly to be blessed by him. Jesus lays his hands on the children and blesses them before he departs. This act of blessing signifies his love and care for children and his his desire for them to experience God’s welcoming embrace and goodness.

God, help me understand today’s Gospel. To remain childlike in faith means to be unafraid of the experiences that life teaches. If Jesus had sent away the children, would they have grown up to be cynical in the presence of holiness and learned to scoff at the alleged goodness of persons? Help me put aside any experiences I have had that prevent me from approaching you with the same complete trust that a child approaches you. Doing this is not to return to a former state of life, an abandonment of an adult understanding of the world and its responsibilities, but to put aside anything that would prevent me from coming to you for every need and to receive your blessing.

From the responsorial psalm: “Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth; you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.” Lord, let me come to you.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Friday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 19:3-12)

Some Pharisees approached Jesus, and tested him, saying, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause whatever?” He said in reply, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator made them male and female and said, For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, man must not separate.”

In today’s readings, God’s mercy throughout the ages is pronounced first by God himself and then by Jesus in the Gospel passage. Speaking through Joshua, God said to the Israelites: “I gave you a land that you had not tilled and cities that you had not built, to dwell in; you have eaten of vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.” Like the land the Israelites had not tilled and the vineyards they did not plant, the sacrament of marriage is a gift of God to spouses. In the Gospel, Jesus responds to the question posed by the Pharisees by saying that because God made us male and female, a man leaves his mother to be joined to his wife, and the two are made into one flesh. In responding to their question about Mosaic Law, which allowed for divorce, Jesus directs the Pharisees to the original intention of God for marriage, a sacramental gift of his mercy, a sacred bond that reflects the union of Christ and the Church.

God, help me understand the fullness of the gift of the sacrament of marriage. In that covenant is a reflection of the love and unity between Christ and the Church. No human law or authority can dissolve the marriage bond, which you yourself have established. Help me trust in your mercy for the tragedy of marriages that end in divorce. Help me be a witness of hope to those whose marriage has been compromised or debilitated or brought to an end through divorce. Just as you gave the Israelites all they needed as they journeyed to the land of milk and honey, give me what I need for this day to be a witness to your love and mercy.

From the responsorial psalm: “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever.” Stay with me, Lord; rouse me when I forget you.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Thursday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 18:21–19:1)

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.

After Peter approaches Jesus and asks him how often he must forgive others, Jesus tells him not seven times but seventy-seven times. Then Jesus tells Peter the parable of the king settling accounts with his servants. The king, pitying his servant forgives him his debt, but that same servant encounters a fellow servant who owes him, and he refuses to forgive him. In today’s Gospel, Matthew conveys several teachings of Christ relating to forgiveness and mercy. Like the king, God forgives us our debt. By contrast, the threatening demand of the wicked servant—“Pay back what you owe.”—brings to mind grudges that are easily held onto for months and years. What does Jesus say to Peter about this except to forgive your brother from your heart?

God, help me learn at all times to love your merciful heart. Give me the grace I need to let go of grudges, which always result in separation from you. The burden of unforgiveness never fails to prevent me from conforming my heart perfectly to Jesus your Son. But your mercy, Lord, is boundless, and you invite me again and again to imitate you. “Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant,” the king asks, “as I had pity on you?” Teach me to have mercy on others without counting the cost; never let it separate me from you.

From the Gospel acclamation: “Let your countenance shine upon your servant and teach me your statutes.” Make me a means of your mercy to others.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Monday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew

Jesus said to his disciples: “Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove that splinter from your eye,’ while the wooden beam is in your eye? You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.”

Jesus speaks to the disciples in today’s Gospel about judging others. It is not altogether wrong to acknowledge the faults of others. However, he calls attention to judgment that is arrogant and self-righteous while ignoring one’s own flaws. Jesus calls those who judge in this way hypocrite. One’s own serious faults need to be addressed and corrected first before addressing the minor flaws—the splinter—of others. “Stop judging,” Jesus says, “that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.” Be merciful to others, Jesus teaches, just as God is merciful to us.

God, help me make sense of today’s Gospel in light of the people I encounter. Judgmental by habit, I ask you for the grace to see how judgment binds me; fault-finding by nature, I ask for your mercy, despite my own faults. Work through me, Lord, so that I can remain in you and end any division that would keep me from staying close to my brother. Help me see myself and others clearly so that I can do your work.

Be with me today, Lord; let me be a means of your kindness. From the Gospel acclamation: “The word of God is living and effective, able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Saturday of the Second Week of Lent

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

“My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the well-known parable of the prodigal son, explaining to the scribes and Pharisees how tax collectors and sinners were coming to him to listen to him. The scribes and Pharisees believed Jesus and his disciples should not associate with such people. The parable of the prodigal son teaches that God’s mercy and forgiveness are available to all who repent and return to him, no matter how far they may have strayed. It also warns against jealousy and the danger of thinking that one’s own righteousness makes for superiority to others. To be able to return to the Father is to experience his great mercy.

God, help me understand the nature of your mercy and generosity expressed in this parable. The father rejoices in the return of the younger son—dead and come to life again—but he also affirms the older son’s place at home with him and the inheritance he will come into. For the father, the joy is doubled because the son who was lost returns and the faithful son has all that belongs to the father. That generosity extends beyond possession; the father has nothing he calls exclusively his own. Good Father in heaven, you take me back when I have been away and return, when I have been lost and again find my way to you, when I die to whatever is not you and through you come back to life.

Lord, help me receive your embrace today—the same way I have countless times in absolution after going to confession. From the first reading from Micha: “Who is there like you, the God who removes guilt and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance; Who does not persist in anger forever, but delights rather in clemency, And will again have compassion on us, treading underfoot our guilt?”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

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