Daily Readings - Mon Feb 26 2018
Daniel
3So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.4I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed: "O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands,5we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws.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.7"Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame-the men of Judah and people of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you.8O LORD, we and our kings, our princes and our fathers are covered with shame because we have sinned against you.9The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him;10we have not obeyed the LORD our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets.
Luke
36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.37"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.38Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful reflections on mercy, judgment, and the relationship between God and humanity. The first reading from Daniel is a heartfelt prayer of confession and repentance. Daniel acknowledges the sins of his people, humbly admitting their failure to obey God’s commandments and their rejection of the prophets’ warnings. He pleads for mercy, recognizing that justice belongs to God while confusion and shame belong to those who have sinned. This prayer is not just an admission of guilt but also an act of trust in God’s faithfulness and mercy.
The Gospel reading from Luke shifts our focus to how we treat others. Jesus teaches that we are called to be merciful as our heavenly Father is merciful. He warns against judging or condemning others, emphasizing that the measure we use to judge will be the same measure used to judge us. This teaching is both a call to compassion and a reminder of the reciprocal nature of our actions. If we forgive and give generously, we will receive the same in return.
Together, these readings invite us to reflect on the interconnectedness of mercy, judgment, and forgiveness. Daniel’s prayer reminds us that we must first acknowledge our own need for God’s mercy before we can extend it to others. Jesus’ words in the Gospel challenge us to live out this mercy in our daily interactions, avoiding the temptation to judge or withhold forgiveness. In a world often marked by division and criticism, these readings call us to a higher standard: to be people of compassion, humility, and generosity. May we strive to imitate God’s mercy, not only in our prayer but also in our actions, that we might create a ripple effect of kindness and grace in the lives of those around us.