1ST READING
We
live in the midst of a rebellious world that focuses on personal
pleasure and materialism. These two things often leave little room for
faith and God. Our Christian communities must fight against this trend
by enshrining practices that protect our faith beliefs in the midst of
secular pluralism.
Ezekiel 12:1-12
1 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 Son
of man, you live in the midst of a rebellious house; they have eyes to
see but do not see, and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a
rebellious house. 3 Now,
son of man, during the day while they are looking on, prepare your
baggage as though for exile, and again while they are looking on,
migrate from where you live to another place; perhaps they will see that
they are a rebellious house. 4 You
shall bring out your baggage like an exile in the daytime while they
are looking on; in the evening, again while they are looking on, you
shall go out like one of those driven into exile; 5 while they look on, dig a hole in the wall and pass through it; 6 while
they look on, shoulder the burden and set out in the darkness; cover
your face that you may not see the land, for I have made you a sign for
the house of Israel. 7 I did as I was told. During the day I brought out my baggage as though it were that of an exile, and at evening I
dug a hole through the wall with my hand and, while they looked on, set out in the darkness, shouldering my burden. 8 Then, in the morning, the word of the Lord came to me: 9 Son of man, did not the house of Israel, that rebellious house, ask you what you were doing? 10 Tell them: Thus says the Lord God: This oracle concerns Jerusalem and the whole house of Israel within it. 11 I am a sign for you: as I have done, so shall it be done to them; as captives they shall go into exile.
12 The
prince who is among them shall shoulder his burden and set out in
darkness, going through a hole that he has dug in the wall, and covering
his face lest he be seen by anyone.
P S A L M
Psalm 78:56-57, 58-59, 61-62
R: Do not forget the works of the Lord!
56 They tempted and rebelled against God the Most High, and kept not his decrees. 57 They turned back and were faithless like their fathers; they recoiled like a treacherous bow. (R) 58 They angered him with their high places and with their idols roused his jealousy. 59 God heard and was enraged and utterly rejected Israel. (R)
61 And he surrendered his strength into captivity, his glory into the hands of the foe. 62 He abandoned his people to the sword and was enraged against his inheritance. (R)
GOSPEL
Forgiveness
is at the heart of the Gospel message. It is essential that we learn to
forgive everyone who sins against us, no matter how grievous the sin
may be. It tears my heart apart when I hear people who say they are
unwilling to forgive a particular person for having hurt them. This
prolongs the hurt indefinitely and makes it worse. Unforgiveness affects
the person unwilling to forgive, like a cancer of the heart. It makes
it impossible to fully love anymore, as there is a section of one’s
heart that has been devoted to hatred.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Let your countenance shine upon your servant and teach me your statutes.
Matthew 18:21–19:1
21 Peter
approached Jesus and asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me,
how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. 23 That is why the kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a
huge amount. 25 Since
he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold,
along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of
the debt. 26 At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’ 27 Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan. 28 When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow
servants who owed him a much smaller amount. He seized him and started to choke him, demanding, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ 29 Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ 30 But he refused. Instead, he had him put in prison until he paid back the debt. 31 Now
when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply
disturbed, and went to their master and reported the whole affair. 32 His master summoned
him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. 33 Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?’ 34 Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. 35 So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart.” 19: 1 When Jesus finished these words, he left Galilee and went to the district of Judea across
the Jordan.
think: Forgiveness is at the heart of the Gospel message.
T O D A Y’S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: __________________
____________________________________
God’s special verse/thought for me today_
_____________________________________
READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR 2 Maccabees 13-15
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