[ Today's Readings ]
but deal with us in your kindness and great mercy.
Jesus, teach us to ask for mercy from our hearts.
For we are reduced, O Lord, beyond any other nation,
brought low everywhere in the world this day
because of our sins.
We can see that we are not living in the apex of Christian history, LORD. There isn't much residual Christianity left in our culture.
We have in our day no prince, prophet, or leader,
no burnt offering, sacrifice, oblation, or incense,
no place to offer first fruits, to find favor with you.
The inertia from that culture can no longer carry us along like leaves in a stream. Indeed, we find that the only currents flow toward the gutters. We must swim. Nothing exterior to us is going to be sufficient. We have to begin from our hearts.
But with contrite heart and humble spirit
let us be received;
It isn't enough to be concerned about consequences for ourselves.
At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said,
‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’
We need to be open to the transforming power of true mercy. Jesus it is your promise to us before it is anything else.
Do not take away your mercy from us,
for the sake of Abraham, your beloved,
Isaac your servant, and Israel your holy one,
To whom you promised to multiply their offspring
like the stars of heaven,
or the sand on the shore of the sea.
If we are to receive this promise we must be open to being transformed by it. We pray "Forgive us our trespasses" but only to the degree that we "forgive those who trespass against us."
The debtor forgiven by the king demands what he is owed from his fellow servant. This can only mean that he doesn't really realize what he himself is first given. If we know how much we need mercy and how we can do nothing to earn it we are grateful. That gratitude spills over, sharing the mercy we receive with others.
Help us to forgive our brothers from the heart, Jesus. Help us to have thankful hearts for the mercy we are first given. Teach us to share that mercy without limits.
Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
he teaches the humble his way.
No comments:
Post a Comment