March 2, 2015 Monday: Lenten Pilgrimage, 2nd Week of Lent
A Lenten Pilgrimage
Monday, 2nd Week of Lent
March 2, 2015
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus advises us to be compassionate, nonjudgmental, non-condemning, forgiving of the faults we see and generous in our assessment of others. No doubt, in some situations in life we cannot escape the obligation to make judgments even on the moral character of others. For example, an employer must make judgments about a prospective employee, and parents must make judgments regarding their children. Jesus does not say that we cannot form opinions about others; but He does take us completely out of the realm of passing sentence on anyone; discern, but do not discriminate or criminate.
Jesus’ command to us to be compassionate, to be merciful means more than imitating His compassion -- it means that God’s attitudes must become ours. His compassion and mercy must come naturally to us when we deal with others. There are so many souls who are in need of Jesus’ love and mercy and we are called to be living witnesses of His mercy and love.
We are also reminded that we must have a forgiving heart. Each time we pray the ‘Our Father’ we say, ‘and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us’. We are clearly stating that if we cannot forgive others, then we will not be able to experience God’s love and forgiveness in our lives. Our heavenly Father permits us to determine the manner He will deal with us. In the unloving condemnation of another, we condemn ourselves.
As we continue on our Lenten Pilgrimage, let us ask for a loving and compassionate heart so that we may be Christ’s presence in this world.
Monday, 2nd Week of Lent
March 2, 2015
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus advises us to be compassionate, nonjudgmental, non-condemning, forgiving of the faults we see and generous in our assessment of others. No doubt, in some situations in life we cannot escape the obligation to make judgments even on the moral character of others. For example, an employer must make judgments about a prospective employee, and parents must make judgments regarding their children. Jesus does not say that we cannot form opinions about others; but He does take us completely out of the realm of passing sentence on anyone; discern, but do not discriminate or criminate.
Jesus’ command to us to be compassionate, to be merciful means more than imitating His compassion -- it means that God’s attitudes must become ours. His compassion and mercy must come naturally to us when we deal with others. There are so many souls who are in need of Jesus’ love and mercy and we are called to be living witnesses of His mercy and love.
We are also reminded that we must have a forgiving heart. Each time we pray the ‘Our Father’ we say, ‘and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us’. We are clearly stating that if we cannot forgive others, then we will not be able to experience God’s love and forgiveness in our lives. Our heavenly Father permits us to determine the manner He will deal with us. In the unloving condemnation of another, we condemn ourselves.
As we continue on our Lenten Pilgrimage, let us ask for a loving and compassionate heart so that we may be Christ’s presence in this world.
