Readings of the Day
RB: Ch 38 The Reader for the Week
Mass: Dn 3:25, 34-43; Resp Ps 25; Mt 18:21-35
I share a blessing taught to me by my Irish and Great Aunt Mary (this is the same beloved Aunt Mary who collected spoons and taught me how to play 500 Rummy!). The blessing was typed (with a real typewriter!) on a little sheet of white paper. As it turns out, it is not a bad introduction to today's Gospel parable:
May those who love us, love us
And those who don't,
May God turn their hearts.
And if he doesn't turn their hearts,
May He turn their ankles so we'll know
Them by their limping.
If surrounded by people limping and we were limping too, would we be able to forgive not seven times but seventy-seven times? (Mt 18:22).
May we be moved with compassion (Mt 18:27), forgive one another from our hearts (Mt 18:35), and pray with Azariah as we move through the daily fires of misunderstandings, contradictions, disappointments, and rejection: "O Lord … do not take away your mercy from us … now we follow you with our whole heart, we fear you and we pray to you. 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" (Dn 3:34, 41-43). Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
Today I would like us to pray for the elderly. They are suffering in a particular way at this moment: with great interior solitude, many times with a lot of fear. Let us pray to the Lord that He might be near our grandparents and all the elderly, that He might give strength to those who have given us wisdom, life, our story. May we also be near them with our prayer.
(Pope Francis, homily, March 17, 2020)
SAINT PATRICK,
PRAY FOR US.
© Gertrude Feick 2020
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