THE DAILY GOSPEL

February 25, 2013

Monday Psalter: Week 2 2nd Week of Lent Ps 79:8, 9, 11 and 13 Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins. 1st Reading: Dn 9:4b-10

I prayed to Yahweh, my God, and made this confession: “Lord God, great and to be feared, you keep your Covenant and love for those who love you and observe your commandments. We have sinned, we have not been just, we have been rebels, and have turned away from your commandments and laws. We have not listened to your servants, the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, leaders, fathers and to all the people of the land.

Lord, justice is yours, but ours is a face full of shame, as it is to this day-we, the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the whole of Israel, near and far away, in all the lands where you have dispersed us because of the infidelity we have committed against you. ?Ours is the??shame, O Lord for we, our kings, ?princes, fathers, have sinned against you. We hope for pardon and mercy from the Lord, because we have rebelled against him. ?We have not listened to the voice of Yahweh, our God, or followed the laws which he has given us through his servants, the prophets. Gospel: Lk 6:36-38 Jesus said to his disciples, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. “Don’t be a judge of others and you will not be judged; do not condemn and you will not be condemned; forgive and you will be forgiven; give and it will be given to you, and you will receive in your sack good measure, pressed down, full and running over. For the measure you give will be the measure you receive back.” Reflection:

I have a friend who is a good human being and takes her faith very seriously. But there is a problem: she is constantly worried about the Last Judgment. One of her regular refrains is, “I just hope I go to heaven and do not end up in purgatory or hell.” And I sadly discern a genuine fear in her.

There is a simple means to avoid “ending up in purgatory or hell,” and today’s gospel offers it to us: Stop judging others, and there would not be a judgment for you either! How can God judge someone who refuses to judge others? And once we stop judging others, we can easily forgive their offenses and give of ourselves generously to them. God will then generously forgive our offenses and reward us with Himself.

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