Tag: forgiveness

“Do you want to be well?” | Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent

From the responsorial psalm: “God is our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in distress. Therefore we fear not, though the earth be shaken and mountains plunge into the depths of the sea. The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (Jn 5:1-16, today’s readings)

When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been ill for a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be well?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; while I am on my way, someone else gets down there before me.” Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your mat, and walk.” Immediately the man became well, took up his mat, and walked.

In Jerusalem, there is a pool called Bethesda where many people come who have a number of illnesses. One man lies near there who has been ill for 38 years. When Jesus first encounters him, he hears how others get to the pool before he is able to. Healing him on the Sabbath, Jesus then slips away into the crowd. When Jewish authorities confront the healed man for carrying his mat on the sabbath, explaining that Jesus healed him, they look for Jesus to persecute him for performing this act on the sabbath. Jesus finds the man later in the temple area and warns him to sin no more. Just as the waters described in Ezekiel’s vision bring abundant physical life, through his passion, death, and resurrection, Jesus brings new life to those who believe in him.

God, let me consider the words of Jesus throughout the day: “Do you want to be well?” Not a prompt for an automatic yes or for greater rational examination, the question is your constant invitation to go further and deeper, as Ezekiel went deeper into the river flowing from the temple. The angel draws Ezekiel from ankle-deep water to depths that eventually engulfed him in a river teeming with life. Give me the grace to recognize the areas in my life where choosing to be well means allowing you to overwhelm me. Do I want to be well? The voice of Christ says, “Take up your mat and walk.” Help me hear and obey him. The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob.

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.

“Your son will live.” | Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent

From the responsorial psalm: “Hear, O LORD, and have pity on me; O LORD, be my helper.” You changed my mourning into dancing; O LORD, my God, forever will I give you thanks. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (Jn 4:43-54, today’s readings)

They told him, “The fever left him yesterday, about one in the afternoon.” The father realized that just at that time Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live,” and he and his whole household came to believe. Now this was the second sign Jesus did when he came to Galilee from Judea.

The first sign John refers to is the transformation of water into wine at the wedding at Cana. During this time, the disciples come to believe in him as he reveals his glory to them. The second sign occurs when Jesus heals the dying son of a royal official in Capernaum. He heals him from a distance when he says these words: “You may go; your son will live.” Jesus heals those who are close to him, who come to him for divine assistance and healing, but he also heals those who remain at a distance. This is the same Lord who creates a new heaven and a new earth, as we hear in Isaiah, and who is present before us in the Eucharist. “Sing praise to the LORD, you his faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy name.”

God, all thanks and praise to you! In sending Jesus Christ, your Son, you created a new heaven and a new earth. You said through Isaiah, “There shall always be rejoicing and happiness in what I create.” Regardless of whether doubt overtakes me or how I question how your will works throughout the day, you are with me always and are the giver of every good gift. The verse before the Gospel says, “Seek good and not evil so that you may live, and the LORD will be with you.” Be with me, Lord, so that I see your lovingkindness and good will as it unfolds in my lifetime, given to me now so that I might have it as a foretaste in this life, one day rejoicing forever in your presence in the life of the world to come.

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.

“He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.” | Fourth Sunday of Lent

From the responsorial psalm: “Look to him that you may be radiant with joy, and your faces may not blush with shame. When the poor one called out, the LORD heard, and from all his distress he saved him. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 15:1-3, 11-32, today’s readings)

“’Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.’” So he got up and went back to his father.”

The verse before the Gospel draws on the words of the prodigal son: I will get up and go to my Father and shall say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. He has squandered all he has and finds himself exhausted in his attempt to take to himself all that he believes belongs to him. He said to his father, “Give me the share of your estate that should come to me.” Yet, having spent the whole share of his inheritance in self-indulgence, he hungers with a hunger that goes beyond physical starvation. With a contrite heart, he returns to his father, who runs off to meet him while he was still a long way off. Sharing this parable with the Pharisees who complain, Jesus invites everyone who hears it to return with contrite hearts to the Father’s merciful embrace.

God, strengthen my assurance in your boundless love for me. Although I turn my back to you, you never do the same to me. Your mercy goes out to meet me where I am, from a long way off. Give me the humility to recognize that all good gifts come from you, and that I can do nothing without them. The son who returns to the father “comes to his senses.” Lord, let me be reconciled to you and glorify you through your Son; in Christ, make me of me a new creation.

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.

“I have come in search of fruit.” | Third Sunday of Lent

From the responsorial psalm: “Merciful and gracious is the LORD, slow to anger and abounding in kindness. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him. The Lord is kind and merciful.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 13:1-9, today’s readings)

“‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. So cut it down.'”

Jesus responds to people who tell him that Pontius Pilate had killed Galileans while they were offering sacrifices, mingling their blood with the sacrifices. Jesus challenges their belief that they died because of their sins, and he compares this incident to the people who died in Jerusalem when a tower fell on them. They were no more guilty than others, and Jesus says: “But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!” In the parable, the owner orders that the fig tree finally be cut down. But the gardener pleads for one more year, promising to cultivate and fertilize the soil in hopes of future fruit. If it still yields nothing, then it will be cut down. Representing the gardener, Jesus calls for repentance and conversion, urging people to use the time they have to to turn away from sin and return to the Lord with their whole heart.

God, help me hear and take to heart the explicit commandment of Jesus: “But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did.!” If I look at my life in relation to every good gift you have given me, like the tree in the parable, I have exhausted the soil and have little to show for it. Yet, the psalmist sings of your mercy (“so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him”), and the gardener asks for another year. For what purpose? “I shall cultivate the ground around it,” he says, “and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future.” Help me, Lord, live in your truth as your adopted son: in no other way do I stand secure but on the sacred ground of you whose name is I AM through the mercy of Jesus Christ your Son.

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.

“My son, you are here with me always.” | Saturday of the Second Week of Lent

From the responsorial psalm: “He pardons all your iniquities, he heals all your ills. He redeems your life from destruction, he crowns you with kindness and compassion. The Lord is kind and merciful.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 15:1-3, 11-32, today’s readings)

Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So to them Jesus addressed this parable.

The familiar parable Jesus addresses to them is the Prodigal Son. In demanding his inheritance, the son takes from the father what the father would generously give him. But as he squanders his inheritance and faces hunger and hardship, he decides to return home and work as a servant. His father sees him from a distance, is filled with compassion, and joyfully welcomes him back, celebrating his return with a feast. The older son is angry at what he perceives is the father’s injustice, but the father reassures him of his constant love for him and the need to celebrate his brother’s return. Jesus describes the same love of the father that we hear in Micah, one who delights in clemency and compassion, “treading underfoot our guilt.”

God, your mercy is constant. Contrition is a means of entering into reconciliation with you, of blessing you with all my being. Just as the psalmist praises you for the height and depth of your mercy, he names you as the one who heals ills and redeems life from destruction. Give me the grace to recognize that you alone are just, you alone see me from a long way off to reconcile me to yourself through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ your Son. Never let me forget the inherent dignity of free will you give to each of us in the choice to return to your love—your very being—and stay with you always. “Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all my being, bless his holy name.”

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.

“Give and gifts will be given to you.” | Monday of the Second Week in Lent

From the responsorial psalm: “Help us, O God our savior, because of the glory of your name; Deliver us and pardon our sins for your name’s sake. Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 6:36-38, today’s readings)

“Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”

Jesus teaches the disciples about mercy and judgment. He calls us to be merciful, just as our Father is merciful and emphasizes that we should not judge and condemn others, and in doing so, we will not be judged ourselves. Instead of condemning, he commands us to forgive, and God will forgive us in return. Jesus also teaches us to give generously and that it will be given back to us in good measure. “Give and gifts will be given to you?” But what is there to give when you are on the receiving end of recurrent hurt or continual re-injury? Prayer, the ongoing work of forgiveness, and a firm assertion of mutual dignity ensure that when you give these things, God’s gift of mercy will be yours.

God, show me how to forgive as you forgive me. Guide me to grow in my ability to forgive little hurts but even more in my resolve to forgive others who have hurt me repeatedly but show no acknowledgment of wrongdoing. Help me call to mind throughout the day but especially during Mass that my hurts are not my burden to bear but to lay down on the altar for Jesus Christ your Son to receive. Strengthen my resolve to pray for those I forgive, to keep on the path of forgiveness, and to offer to you the care of their souls. Grant me your wisdom and strength to persevere in forgiveness, trusting in the divine mercy and justice that is yours. Yours, O Lord, are compassion and forgiveness. Saint Patrick, pray for us!

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.

The Father’s perfect love. | Saturday of the First Week of Lent

From the responsorial psalm: “Blessed are they whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD. Blessed are they who observe his decrees, who seek him with all their heart. Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 5:43-48, today’s readings)

“For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers and sisters only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Jesus teaches the disciples that loving only those who love us is not enough. He calls all who follow him to love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them. This reflects the perfect love of the Father, who gives sunlight and rain to both the just and the unjust. If we love only those who love us, there is nothing extraordinary in that. Jesus calls us to a higher, seemingly impossible, standard of holiness, to love as God loves. He teaches us to “be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect,” inviting us to strive for divine love in all our relationships. Although sinners, we are transformed by God’s grace, making it possible to love even our enemies through him and not by our own strength.

God, help me love as you love even when I see it as an impossible command. Teach me to see others as you see them with the gift of your mercy and compassion. Strengthen my heart to forgive, to pray for those who have hurt me, and to trust in your grace to perfect my love. I know that on my own, I will fall short but you make all things are possible. Jesus, I trust in 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.

“Go first and be reconciled with your brother.” | Friday of the First Week of Lent

From the responsorial psalm: “I trust in the LORD; my soul trusts in his word. My soul waits for the LORD more than sentinels wait for the dawn. Let Israel wait for the LORD. If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand?”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 5:20-26, today’s readings)

“Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court.”

Jesus teaches the disciples about internal righteousness over mere external compliance with the law, which the scribes and Pharisees especially sought. Because no one is capable of perfect righteousness, Jesus brings the law, particularly the sixth commandment, into focus as a way to point to our reliance on God as the source of our mercy. Jesus speaks in terms of gifts brought to the altar—a holy place—and that those gifts are to be brought to the altar only after the soul is purified in reconciliation once the soul is set free to give. While reconciliation is ordinarily possible, it may for a time or season not be an option. Forgiveness is key, but it doesn’t mean being caught in a cycle that does harm to relationships. While we are all called to forgive, reconciliation needs to be done in a way that expresses mutual compassion for one another and a desire for healing.

God, teach me from your being, which is love and mercy itself, to be merciful and forgiving. Show me how to respond in relationships where forgiveness is necessary and life-giving but reconciliation is for a time, out of reach. Help me recognize that you have the answers and I do not. You alone are merciful as the giver of all good gifts. Give me the grace to recognize when reconciliation is not possible but also when it is, and to act on it while guarding dignity and well-being. Guide me, Lord, in the way of wisdom and discernment in receiving the gift of your mercy to give that gift to others in need of it. Jesus, I trust in 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.

“For every tree is known by its own fruit.” | Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

From the responsorial psalm: “It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praise to your name, Most High, To proclaim your kindness at dawn and your faithfulness throughout the night. Lord, it is good to give thanks to you.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (6:39-45, today’s readings)

“A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not pick figs from thornbushes, nor do they gather grapes from brambles.”

In the first reading, Sirach says, “The fruit of a tree shows the care it has had.” Jesus tells his disciples some parables to expand on the truth contained in this idea, including spiritual blindness, or a deeply rooted lack of accountability. The blind are not capable of leading the blind, and if there is a beam of judgment in our own eye, that must be removed before we can see out of God-given mercy the splinter in another’s eye. Jesus’ instruction to remove the beam from one’s own eye before addressing the speck in another’s eye is a teaching on the importance of self-awareness and accountability. What does self-examination reveal about our motivations and intentions? Any good fruit in us that “shows the care we have had” reveals the gift of God’s mercy alive in our hearts.

God, you alone are just and know the hearts of your people. Judgment is not mine to wield, and the word of life will come to fulfillment in the final judgment. Saint Paul reminds me to keep this in mind, that life leads in only one direction in hope of the resurrection: “When this which is corruptible clothes itself with incorruptibility and this which is mortal clothes itself with immortality, then the word that is written shall come about.” Guide me, Lord, to shine like a light in the world as I hold on to the word of life.

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.

“Whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me.” | Tuesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

From the responsorial psalm: “Trust in the LORD and do good, that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security. Take delight in the LORD, and he will grant you your heart’s requests. Commit your life to the Lord, and he will help you.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (9:30-37, today’s readings)

Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.” Taking a child, he placed it in their midst, and putting his arms around it, he said to them, “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me.”

As Jesus travels with the disciples through Galilee, he tells them about his coming passion, death, and resurrection. Unable to understand him, they ask no questions but on the way to Capernaum discuss who among the disciples is the greatest. Once inside the house where they would stay, Jesus shares with them what true greatness means as his disciples: the first shall be last, and the last shall be first. The child from within the house that Jesus places before them is somehow closely related to the disciples, possibly a son or daughter or nephew or niece of one of the disciples. In receiving the child, Jesus teaches us what the love of a father for his children looks like as he speaks of his own Father and ours as the “One who sent me.”

Father in heaven, teach me to put myself last of all today. In doing what is necessary today, help me look first to the needs of others even as I accomplish my tasks. Nothing extraordinary is likely to happen today as I try to act on being “the last of all and the servant of all.” Yet, let me receive the gifts you give me today and not take my own agendas so seriously that I forget you, the giver of all that is good. The psalmist’s prayer is to “trust in the LORD and do good.” Give me the grace to take to heart this seemingly simple task today for the sake of your glory.

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.