Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS


Even now, says the LORD,
return to me with your whole heart;
for I am gracious and merciful. JL 2:12-13


DANIEL 3:25, 34-43
PSALM 25:4-5AB, 6 AND 7BC, 8-9
MATTHEW 18:21-35

DANIEL 3:25, 34-43

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

We make the prayer of Azariah in today's Reading our own.

Do not forget the Covenant which You have made with us, a Covenant sealed in Your Blood and the Holy Spirit. Yes, we have sinned. We have strayed from the path of holiness and righteousness. We have worshipped at the altars of the flesh and other false gods. We had forgotten all You have done for us and the price of our salvation on the Cross.

We deserve the punishment that has fallen upon the nations and upon us. Our places of worship are closed. In many places, we are unable to come together to offer the Father the most pleasing of all sacrifices, the Sacrifice of the Holy Mass.

Do not deliver us to the evil that is upon us but in Your tender mercy and compassion, blot out our offenses. Take pity on us and forgive us for the sake of Your sorrowful passion. With the help of Your Holy Spirit, we firmly resolve to avoid the near occasion of sin.

"Do not let us be put to shame,
but deal with us in your kindness and great mercy.
Deliver us by your wonders,
and bring glory to your name, O Lord.”

PSALM 25:4-5AB, 6 AND 7BC, 8-9

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

It is easy to get disheartened when we are in the midst of trials, but when we look back, we see how often You have delivered us from the evils that threatened to devour us. 

Once again we cry out to You, Lord Jesus, to look down upon Your people. Forgive our many transgressions. Forgive us for using the time given to us on every frivolous pastime rather than on loving and serving You.

We have Your assurance that a humble and contrite heart You will not spurn. We come to You in true sorrow for our sins. Rid the nations of the pestilence that scourges us and grant us the grace never to forget again that we are created for God alone and Him alone are we to love and serve with our whole heart, mind, soul, body, and spirit.

MATTHEW 18:21-35

My Beloved, Soul of my soul,

We are not unlike the wicked servant who conveniently forgot the great debt he owed His Master.  

We are invited today to have a heart like Yours that does not keep an account of our transgressions but is ready to forgive all our sins no matter how grave. We are called to show mercy if we desire mercy to be shown to us. We are called to forgive is we desire to be forgiven. We are called to give just as we have been given - without the desire of receiving anything in return.

We have hope if we begin to love as You do, without counting the cost. If not, we will stand before the God of all righteousness who will extract full payment for our failure to love.