Salesian Sisters South Pacific Region

From the Word of the Day

Stop judging and you will not be judged.  Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.  Forgive and you will be forgiven. 
Give and gifts will be given to you.
                    Luke 6: 37-38

How should we live this Word

The journey of the Lenten liturgies continues under the sign of a strong commitment to love.  The first reading forms the background for the Gospel.  The passage from the Book of Daniel is full of sincere humility that flows from a heart aware of being distant from God and thereby provoking all manner of evil upon itself.  “We are shamefaced even to this day…But yours, O Lord, our God, are compassion and forgiveness...Yet we rebelled against you and paid no heed to your command.”
It is precisely from a contrite and humbled heart that a new capacity for love arises.  What’s more, only the humble know how to love truly.  How can we judge others when God has the right to judge us for our scarce love?  Is it not true that as a person worthy of condemnation, you have obtained greater forgiveness from God; that now the wave of forgiveness can pass from you to your neighbor?  In His infinite goodness, the Lord wishes that the law of communicating vessels should win even here. 
The more you grow in mercy, in forgiveness, in gratuity in your rapport with your neighbor, the greater becomes your capacity to receive the Lord’s graces both here and in the life to come.

Today as I pause for silent contemplation, I will interiorize the attitude of profound humility as seen in the text from Daniel.  Prostrate in my heart before God, so great in mercy and forgiveness, I will ask Jesus to prune every perverse limb of negative judgments in regard to others as soon as it appears in me.  I will invoke His readiness and ease in forgiving, His generosity in giving myself to other with all humility.

Lord, help me to use toward others ‘a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing’ certain that You will fill me with the same measure.

The voice of St. John Chrysostom, Church Father

Those who pardon others, free themselves from every accusation, even before the other, without costing any sacrifice.  Those who judge the faults of others with moderation and indulgence will accumulate a great treasure of mercy for themselves.

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House of Prayer “San Biagio” – 00028 SUBIACO RM     casale 106    
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