＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

Daniel 9:4b-10

I prayed to Yahweh,

My God, and made this confession: “Lord God, great and to be feared, you keep your Covenant and love for those who love you and observe your commandments. We have sinned, we have not been just, we have been rebels, and have turned away from your commandments and laws. 

We have not listened to your servants, the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, leaders, fathers and to all the people of the land.  Lord, justice is yours, but ours is a face full of shame, as it is to this day – we, the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the whole of Israel, near and far away, in all the lands where you have dispersed us because of the infidelity we have committed against you. 

Ours is the  shame, O Lord for we, our kings,  princes, fathers, have sinned against you. We hope for pardon and mercy from the Lord, because we have rebelled against him. We have not listened to the voice of Yahweh, our God, or followed the laws which he has given us through his servants, the prophets.

 

Ps 79:8, 9, 11 & 13

Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

Luke 6:36-38

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.  Don’t be a judge of others 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, and you will receive in your sack good measure, pressed down, full and running over. For the measure you give will be the measure you receive back.”

 

Gospel Reflection：

The measure we use for others is the measure that will be used against us. that is why it is not God who sets the standards for us. It is our own choosing. In this case, we have no right to protest or question God when we will finally be judged accordingly.

It is us who condemn ourselves or save ourselves from punishment because of the choices we made in our life time. After all, we seal our fate with the choices we make. So let our choices in life be good and holy, so that only goodness and holy, so that only goodness and holiness will follow us, all the rest of our lives.