Reading 1
Dn 9:4b-10
“Lord, great and awesome God, you who keep your merciful covenant toward those who love you and observe your commandments! We have sinned, been wicked and done evil; we have rebelled and departed from your commandments and your laws. We have not obeyed your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, our fathers, and all the people of the land. Justice, O Lord, is on your side; we are shamefaced even to this day: we, the men of Judah, the residents of Jerusalem, and all Israel, near and far, in all the countries to which you have scattered them because of their treachery toward you. O LORD, we are shamefaced, like our kings, our princes, and our fathers, for having sinned against you. But yours, O Lord, our God, are compassion and forgiveness! Yet we rebelled against you and paid no heed to your command, O LORD, our God, to live by the law you gave us through your servants the prophets.”
Responsorial Psalm
79:8, 9, 11 and 13
R. (see 103:10a) Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.
Remember not against us the iniquities of the past; may your compassion quickly come to us, for we are brought very low.
R. Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.
Help us, O God our savior, because of the glory of your name; Deliver us and pardon our sins for your name’s sake.
R. Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.
Let the prisoners’ sighing come before you; with your great power free those doomed to death. Then we, your people and the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; through all generations we will declare your praise.
R. Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.
Gospel
Lk 6:36-38
Jesus said to his disciples: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
“Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. 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.”
FOR-GIVE
"Pardon, and you shall be pardoned. Give, and it shall be given to you." –Luke 6:37-38
We receive according to the measure in which we give. Yet we cannot give to God and others until we have forgiven. "If you bring your gift to the altar and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift at the altar, go first to be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift" (Mt 5:23-24). Unforgiveness leaves us spiritually paralyzed at the foot of the altar, unable to give, receive, or live the Christian life.
Consequently, we must lose no time in forgiving others and being reconciled (Mt 5:25). We must not let the sun go down on our anger; otherwise, the devil will work on us (Eph 4:26-27). By the grace of God, we should decide to forgive as quickly as we're offended, even if we're hurt seventy times seven times.
Unforgiveness prevents us from receiving anything from God (Sir 28:2-5), but opens the door for us to receive other things. Jesus calls these things "torturers" (Mt 18:34). When we don't forgive, we can receive self-hatred, depression, loneliness, anxiety, compulsive behavior, etc. What we receive depends secondarily on our giving and primarily on our forgiving. Our forgiving depends completely on our relationship with Jesus.
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