Daily Readings - Sun Sep 17 2023

³⁰Whoever sets in motion a wicked plan will find that it rolls back over him, and he will not know from which direction it will arrive³¹Mockery and derision are of the arrogant, and vengeance will lie in wait for them, like a lion³²Whoever enjoys the fall of the just will perish in a snare, and grief will consume them before they die³³Anger and fury are both abominable, and the sinful man will be held by them

Chapter 28

¹Whoever wishes for vengeance will find vengeance from the Lord, and he will surely be attentive to his sins²Forgive your neighbor, if he has harmed you, and then your sins will be forgiven you when you pray³A man holds on to anger against another man, and does he then seek a remedy from God⁴He has no mercy on a man like himself, and does he then entreat for his own sins⁵He who is but flesh holds on to anger, and does he then request forgiveness from God? Who can obtain pardon for his sins in this way⁶Remember your very end, and let animosities cease⁷For corruption and death are suspended over his commandments

Romans

Chapter 14

⁷For none of us lives for himself, and none of us dies for himself⁸For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord⁹For Christ died and rose again for this purpose: that he might be the ruler of both the dead and the living

Matthew

Chapter 18

²¹Then Peter, drawing near to him, said: "Lord, how many times shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Even seven times?²²Jesus said to him: "I do not say to you, even seven times, but even seventy times seven times²³Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is compared to a man who was king, who wanted to take account of his servants²⁴And when he had begun taking account, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents²⁵But since he did not have any way to repay it, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children, and all that he had, in order to repay it²⁶But that servant, falling prostrate, begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will repay it all to you.²⁷Then the lord of that servant, being moved with pity, released him, and he forgave his debt²⁸But when that servant departed, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him one hundred denarius. And taking hold of him, he choked him, saying: ‘Repay what you owe.²⁹And his fellow servant, falling prostrate, petitioned him, saying: ‘Have patience with me, and I will repay it all to you.³⁰But he was not willing. Instead, he went out and had him sent to prison, until he would repay the debt³¹Now his fellow servants, seeing what was done, were greatly saddened, and they went and reported to their lord all that was done³²Then his lord called him, and he said to him: ‘You wicked servant, I forgave you all your debt, because you pleaded with me³³Therefore, should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I also had compassion on you?³⁴And his lord, being angry, handed him over to the torturers, until he repaid the entire debt³⁵So, too, shall my heavenly Father do to you, if each one of you will not forgive his brother from your hearts.

Sermon

In today’s readings, we are invited to reflect on the transformative power of forgiveness and our relationship with God. The first reading from Sirach warns against the destructive nature of anger and vengeance, urging us to forgive others so that we may be forgiven. It reminds us that holding onto anger only leads to spiritual harm and that mercy is a gift from God. The second reading from Romans shifts our focus to living and dying for the Lord, emphasizing that our lives are not our own but belong to God, who through Christ’s resurrection, rules over all. This truth should shape how we live and interact with others. The Gospel parable of the unforgiving servant drives home the necessity of forgiveness. The servant, forgiven a massive debt, refuses to extend the same mercy to another, leading to severe consequences. This parable is a stark reminder that forgiveness is not optional but essential. Just as we are forgiven by God, we must forgive others. The readings together highlight that our relationship with God is deeply intertwined with our relationships with others. Forgiveness is not just a feeling but a choice that reflects our commitment to living as children of God. In our daily lives, let us examine our hearts and actions. Are we holding onto grudges or refusing to forgive? The readings encourage us to let go of anger and embrace mercy. Forgiveness liberates us from the chains of resentment and allows us to live in the freedom of God’s love. As we pray for forgiveness, let us also extend it to others, creating communities of compassion and reconciliation. May we remember that our heavenly Father’s forgiveness of us is tied to our forgiveness of others, and may we choose to forgive from the heart, just as He forgives us.