Daily Readings - Mon Mar 14 2022
Daniel
3Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.4I prayed to the LORD my God and made confession, saying, "O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments,5we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules.6We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.7To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery that they have committed against you.8To us, O Lord, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you.9To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him10and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God by walking in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.
Luke
36Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.37"Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven;38give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you."
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two powerful reflections on mercy, judgment, and the relationship between God and humanity. In Daniel’s prayer, we hear a heartfelt confession of sin and a plea for divine mercy. Daniel acknowledges the sins of his people, acknowledging that their suffering is a consequence of their infidelity to God. Yet, he also appeals to God's mercy, acknowledging that God is just and faithful, and that His mercy is available to those who turn back to Him. This reading reminds us of the importance of humility and repentance in our relationship with God.
In the Gospel, Jesus teaches us about the importance of showing mercy to others. He warns against judging or condemning others, because the measure we use to judge others will be the same measure used to judge us. He calls us to be merciful as the Father is merciful, and He promises that those who give generously will receive abundantly in return. This teaching challenges us to examine our attitudes toward others and to live out the mercy and compassion we receive from God.
The connection between these readings is clear: just as we ask for God's mercy and forgiveness, we must extend that same mercy and forgiveness to others. Daniel's prayer shows us the importance of acknowledging our own sinfulness and seeking God's pardon. Jesus' teaching in the Gospel shows us that this mercy must not remain inward but must be expressed in our relationships with others. In our daily lives, we are called to live out this twofold dynamic: humbly seeking God's mercy and freely giving it to others. Let us remember that the measure of our love for God is reflected in how we treat our neighbors, and may we strive to be instruments of God's mercy and compassion in the world.