First Reading - Daniel 9:4-10
Gospel - Luke 6:36-38
In the first reading, we come across a beautiful prayer of the prophet Daniel. The prayer is the offshoot of the consciousness of having failed to keep or observe the covenantal relationship with God. The prayer springs from a contrite heart and is deeply rooted in genuine quest for restoration of God's mercy and forgiveness. This prayer can be divided into two halves; the first halve recalls the failure of the people of Israel, as a collective people, to observe the commandment of God. Daniel acknowledges that God repeatedly sent his messengers or prophets to them for repentance but the people turned their deaf ears to them. Consequently, the exile occurs as a punishment for their iniquities and sins. However, Daniel does not cancel to accentuate the outpouring love or mercy of God as long as people were faithful to him; in the second halve, Daniel, on behalf of the people of Israel, implores God for his mercy and forgiveness. He acknowledges God's abounding goodness and kindness and entreats for compassionate look on the people so that they can once again enjoy His favour and blessings and return to the promised land.
The gospel passage of the day zeros in on the theme of compassion or mercy. Jesus exhorts everyone to become compassionate as the Heavenly Father is compassionate. The instruction on becoming 'compassionate' follows the omission of becoming a judge over others by judging and condemning others. Jesus outlines that God's mercy or compassion is frequently associated with his lack of condemnation and his gracious forgiveness. The command of Jesus to become merciful or compassionate is to mean showing compassion or mercy by avoiding to judge or condemn others rather being forgiving. However, this also reminds that as we will be generous in practicing forgiveness and mercy, so will the Heavenly Father be doing with us; our forgiveness for one another with be reciprocated by God.
Dear friends, the word compassion is derived from a Latin word 'compassio' - 'com' means with and 'passio' means suffering. Thus, compassion means 'suffering with'. God indeed suffers with the humanity for the pain, suffering, and sins because He is compassion and love. This is why, He comes to our rescue in our sins, sufferings, and pains. The first reading reveals it in the prayer of Daniel. Daniel does not shy off to mention the motherly love God lavishes on humanity but our failure to respond to that love meets a tragic fate in our lives. The season of Lent is a time to pause a while to examine ourselves; are we failing to respond to God's love and mercy? Are we living our lives according to the will of God or according to the commandment of God? Are we able to love and forgive our brothers and sisters, those who offend us? God's mercy is primarily visible in us that we are alive and able to live our lives, that we are fine and safe, that we have everything for our livelihood and survival, that we are loved and cared.
God has shown us His mercy and continues to show His mercy, similarly, we are also to show mercy to one another. We will certainly be able to show mercy or compassion, if we are able to suffer with others their pains and sufferings after a failure and mistake. God forgives us and Jesus invites us to become forgiving by accepting and loving everyone with their failures and shortcomings as God Himself does with us; He loves us with our failures and shortcomings. It doesn't mean we have to condon the sins of others by accepting and loving them rather allowing God to judge their sins rather than taking it upon ourselves.
Let's pray that we may be able to become merciful to one another as God is merciful to us.
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