Daily Catholic Mass Readings for March 6, 2023
First Reading: Daniel 9.3, 4b-10
3And I set my face to the Lord, my God, to ask and make supplication with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes4And I prayed to the Lord, my God, and I confessed, and I said, "I beg you, O Lord God, great and terrible, preserving the covenant and mercy for those who love you and keep your commandments5We have sinned, we have committed iniquity, we acted impiously and have withdrawn, and we have turned aside from your commandments as well as your judgments6We have not obeyed your servants, the prophets, who have spoken in your name to our kings, our leaders, our fathers, and all the people of the land7To you, O Lord, is justice, but to us is confusion of face, just as it is on this day for the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and all Israel, for those who are near and those who are far off, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of their iniquities by which they have sinned against you8O Lord, to us belongs confusion of face: to our kings, our leaders, and our fathers, who have sinned9But to you, the Lord our God, is mercy and atonement, for we have withdrawn from you10and we have not listened to the voice of the Lord, our God, so as to walk in his law, which he established for us by his servants, the prophets
Psalm 79
1A Psalm of Asaph. O God, the Gentiles have entered into your inheritance; they have polluted your holy temple. They have set Jerusalem as a place to tend fruit trees2They have placed the dead bodies of your servants as food for the birds of the sky, the flesh of your saints for the beasts of the earth3They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there was no one who would bury them4We have become a disgrace to our neighbors, an object of ridicule and mockery to those who are around us5How long, O Lord? Will you be angry until the end? Will your zeal be kindled like a fire6Pour out your wrath among the Gentiles, who have not known you, and upon the kingdoms that have not invoked your name7For they have devoured Jacob, and they have desolated his place8Do not remember our iniquities of the past. May your mercies quickly intercept us, for we have become exceedingly poor9Help us, O God, our Savior. And free us, Lord, for the glory of your name. And forgive us our sins for the sake of your name10Let them not say among the Gentiles, "Where is their God?" And may your name become known among the nations before our eyes. For the retribution of your servants’ blood, which has been poured out11may the groans of the shackled enter before you. According to the greatness of your arm, take possession of the sons of those who have been killed12And repay our neighbors sevenfold within their sinews. It is the reproach of the same ones who brought reproach against you, O Lord13But we are your people and the sheep of your pasture: we will give thanks to you in all ages. From generation to generation, we will announce your praise
Gospel: Luke 6.36-38
36Therefore, be merciful, just as your Father is also merciful37Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven38Give, and it will be given to you: a good measure, pressed down and shaken together and overflowing, they will place upon your lap. Certainly, the same measure that you use to measure out, will be used to measure back to you again.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful expressions of humility and mercy. The first reading from Daniel is a heartfelt prayer of confession and repentance. Daniel acknowledges the sins of his people, taking responsibility not only for their failures but also for his own. He humbly recognizes that justice belongs to God, while confusion and shame belong to those who have turned away from His commandments. This prayer is not just an admission of guilt but a plea for mercy, trusting in God’s faithfulness and love. The context of this passage is a time of exile for the Israelites, a moment of deep sorrow and reflection. Daniel’s prayer reminds us that true repentance involves acknowledging our sins, taking responsibility, and trusting in God’s mercy.
In the Gospel, Jesus teaches us about the importance of living out God’s mercy in our daily lives. He says, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” This is not merely a suggestion but a call to imitate God’s very nature. Jesus emphasizes that our actions have consequences: the way we judge, forgive, and give to others will be the measure by which we are judged. This teaching is rooted in the idea that we are called to reflect God’s love and compassion in the world. If we are merciful, forgiving, and generous, we will experience the same in return. The context of this passage is Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain, where He outlines the characteristics of those who follow Him.
Both readings are connected by the theme of mercy and our response to God’s love. Daniel’s prayer shows us how to approach God with humility and trust, while Jesus’ teaching calls us to extend that same mercy to others. In our daily lives, this means letting go of judgment and instead choosing to forgive, to give freely, and to love without condition. It is a call to examine how we treat others and to reflect God’s mercy in our actions. As we strive to live this way, we are reminded that God’s mercy is not just something we receive but something we are called to share with the world. May we, like Daniel, turn to God with humble hearts, and may we, like Jesus teaches, be instruments of His mercy in the lives of those around us.