Breaking the Word

2nd week in Lent, Tuesday – 7th March 2023 – Isaiah 1,10. 16-20; Mt 23,1-12

Doing Good for the Marginalized
The first reading takes place before the Babylonian Exile. In it, Isaiah urges the people of Israel to forsake their evil ways and change their lives. He reminds them not only to turn away from wrongdoing and sin, but they must also do good, search for justice, redress the wrong, hear the cry of the poor and come to their aid, and defend the helpless. In Jewish society, these were the weakest and most neglected of people. If we commit ourselves to doing the right things, it will be a sign that we are serious about achange of heart, re-directing our lives toward God, and God will be forgiving our sins. For those who truly repent – this is shown by a radical change in the behaviour towards the weak and neglected. That is what we hope will be our experience, too, in this lent.

2^nd week in Lent, Monday – 6^th March 2023 – Daniel 9,4-10; Lk 6,36-38

Great and Awesome God

The first reading from the book of Daniel reminds us that we are sinners and we need God’s mercy and compassion. It begins by acknowledging Who God is: “Great and awesome God, You who keep Your merciful covenant toward those who love You…” It ends by reiterating God’s everlasting nature: “To the Lord our God belongs mercy and forgiveness.” This prayer presents the God who remains steadfast and loving always and in all His ways. On the other hand, it is a beautiful prayer for each of us as individuals, and as members of a community of faith, and as part of the human race.  It is an excellent penance prayer – a national act of contrition, describing God’s perfection and man’s imperfection. It is a prayer of sorrow and repentance for the many ways in which we have failed to listen to God and his messengers. It is a prayer which contains humility, worship, confession and petition: “We have sinned … we have rebelled … we have not obeyed … we are shame faced.” Thus, this prayer points the finger at ourselves and invites us to be fully aware of and acknowledge our own failures and to beg for God’s mercy and compassion on our knees.