First Reading (Daniel 9,4b-10)
Reading of Daniel’s Prophecy.
“I beg you, Lord, great and terrible God, to preserve the covenant and loving-kindness to those who love you and keep your commandments; we have sinned, we have done injustice and ungodliness, we have been rebellious, departing from your commandments and your law; we have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings and princes, to our ancestors and to all the people of the land. To you, Lord, justice befits us; and today we must have shame on our face: whether it be to the man of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, or to those who live nearby and to those who live far away, from all the countries to which you have driven them because of the unfaithfulness committed against you. God, mercy and forgiveness are due, for we have rebelled against you, and have not listened to the voice of the Lord, our God, showing us the path of his law, which he proposed to us through his servants the prophets.”
– Word of the Lord.
– Thank God.
Gospel (Luke 6,36-38)
Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke.
— Glory to you, Lord.
At that time, Jesus said to his disciples: “Be merciful, as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, 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. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be placed in your lap; for with the same measure with which you measure others, you will also be measured.”
— Word of Salvation.
— Glory to you, Lord.
Reflecting the Word of God
My brothers and sisters in Christ, imagine yourself in front of a mirror. When you look at the reflection, what do you see? Maybe you see marks of time, scars of life, or even look at yourself with a critical eye. But now imagine that this mirror doesn’t just show the outside, but the inside of your soul. What would you see? A heart full of love and compassion? Or a hardened, wounded heart, perhaps distant from God? Today’s readings invite us to this sincere examination of the heart and offer us a path to mercy and forgiveness.
In the first reading, taken from the book of Daniel, we hear a deep prayer of confession and repentance: “We have sinned, we have committed iniquities and wickedness, we have been rebellious and have strayed from your commandments and precepts.” Daniel does not try to hide the people’s faults. On the contrary, he recognizes his mistakes and cries out for God’s mercy. This is an act of humility essential to any true relationship with God. How many times in our lives do we try to justify our mistakes, find excuses for our failures and point the finger at others? But God doesn’t want justifications; He wants a contrite, repentant heart willing to return to Him.
Daniel teaches us that God’s mercy does not depend on our merit. He says: “To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness.” It reminds us that God is not a merciless judge waiting to condemn us, but a loving Father, always ready to welcome back those who repent. But to experience this mercy, we need to step forward, acknowledge our shortcomings, and trust in the goodness of the Lord.
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus presents us with one of the greatest challenges of the Christian life: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” Think about it: God asks us to imitate His mercy. But what does it mean to be merciful? It means looking at others with compassion, forgiving those who hurt us, offering love even to those who don’t deserve it. How many times do we prefer to hold resentments instead of releasing forgiveness? How many times do we judge others harshly without knowing their pains and struggles?
Jesus gives us a golden rule for life: “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven.” Here is a powerful spiritual secret. If we want to receive God’s mercy, we must be merciful. If we want to be forgiven, we must forgive. If we want to receive blessings, we must be generous to others. What we give to the world returns to us.
Imagine a crystal clear water fountain. The more water is removed from it, the more it continues to flow. This is also the case with the merciful heart: it never runs out, as it constantly receives from God’s infinite mercy. The more we forgive, the more we are forgiven. The more we love, the more we are loved. The more generous we are, the more God blesses us.
Jesus concludes by saying: “Give, and it will be given to you: a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be placed in your lap.” This image reminds us of an abundant harvest, where the wheat is measured generously, so that the quantity is maximum. This is the heart of God: He gives us more than we ask, more than we deserve, more than we imagine. But to experience this abundance, we need to open our hands and our hearts.
So, how can we apply these teachings in our lives? First, we need to cultivate humility to recognize our failures before God, as Daniel did. An arrogant heart will never experience the fullness of divine mercy. Second, we must become instruments of mercy in the world: forgive those who have hurt us, help those in need, judge less and love more.
Think about someone you have difficulty forgiving. Maybe it’s a friend who betrayed you, a relative who hurt you, or even someone who isn’t even part of your life anymore, but whose name still weighs heavily on your heart. Jesus is asking you today to release this weight. Forgiveness does not mean forgetting or justifying someone else’s mistake. It means freeing yourself from the prison of resentment and letting God act in your life.
Finally, let us be generous in everything we do. Generous with our time, our words, our resources, and most of all, our mercy. May we live in such a way that when we look into the mirror of our soul, we see not only our faults, but the image of Christ reflected in us.
May the Lord grant us a humble, forgiving and loving heart. And that, when we practice mercy, we can receive it in abundance. Amen!
