Reflections
"Not according to our sins
does He deal with us."
Our psalmist sings the praises
of a divine and loving God,
who surrounds us with
compassion, pardons our sins,
heals our ills.
compassion, pardons our sins,
heals our ills.
He nurses no lasting anger,
He has not dealt with us as our
sins deserve. Our duty is to
remain faithful to the Lord,
sins deserve. Our duty is to
remain faithful to the Lord,
as we are His children,
and to treat His anointed ones
with love and compassion,
as He would do.
as He would do.
We are to be merciful to our enemies
by imitating the Father. The Psalm
tells us how:
by imitating the Father. The Psalm
tells us how:
“Merciful and gracious is the Lord,
Slow to anger and abounding in kindness.”
Who can love their enemies, and do good
to them? It will be difficult if we allow our
earthly nature to rule us. Just as “God
has not dealt with us as our sins merit,”
to them? It will be difficult if we allow our
earthly nature to rule us. Just as “God
has not dealt with us as our sins merit,”
so must we have compassion on those
we may be inclined to condemn.
We cannot imitate God without a share
in Christ’s divinity, by allowing the Holy
Spirit within us to guide us. Only then
will we have the kind of compassion
in Christ’s divinity, by allowing the Holy
Spirit within us to guide us. Only then
will we have the kind of compassion
the psalmist speaks about.
As the Psalm says, God’s love towers over us
if we are his faithful.
If we love the Lord, it will show in our hearts,
and the old things will then pass away.
The Psalm says it well:
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has He put our transgressions behind us.
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Our Psalm speaks of a loving and compassionate God,
who does not deal with us according to our sins. Are you able
to treat those who have harmed you in the same way? Explain.
2. The verses of the Psalm remind us of the power of the
Sacrament of Reconciliation, "As far as the east is from the west,
so far has He put our transgressions behind us." Relate how the
Sacrament works for you to put your sins behind you.
From the first and second readings, to the Gospel to the Psalm, this week's passages are unusually pointed and clear in their message; we must forgive others if we wish to be forgiven as well.
ReplyDeleteIn one way, I am made uncomfortable. I am not much different from the wicked servant who received a cancellation of his debts from the king, but then proceeds to throw in prison a fellow servant who owes him some money. I am holding onto some judgment against my child's former coaches and classmates. I say that I have moved on, but it doesn't take much for my anger to be rekindled. Have I truly forgiven these brothers?
In another way, I take great comfort from this week's message, because I know that I am forgiven, despite not being worthy. And that the Lord gives me grace to be loving to those whom I feel have wronged my family.
As the blog states, "We cannot imitate God without a share in Christ's divinity." I don't think I can state it any better. Christ in us... is what allows us to act in a loving and merciful manner. He is at the door of every heart... knocking ... waiting... to be asked in.
Amen.
"With the Lord there is Mercy and fullness of Redemption."
ReplyDeleteFrankly speaking I am afraid to say that I could not deal well with those who have harmed me recently or in the past. Not in the way God deals with me by forgiving my transgressions.
I totally take God’s Grace for granted for my own benefit.
I thought I forgave those who harmed me, but still the hurtful feeling remains and from time to time it is surfacing and I am bothered by it.
I realize I did not forgive them completely.
Despite what God says in the Bible, “ Forgive them 70 times 7,” being betrayed by the persons whom I trusted was unforgivable.
My heart is still aching because those wounds are so deep to forget. How could I forgive and forget!
I went a number of times to Confession.
God knows I am formed from dust, and am like the grass and flowers in the field. God knows my weakness and that I am fragile.
I realized I could not forgive those who hurt me by my own power. I called on the Holy Spirit for help. The Holy Spirit empowered me and reminded me of God’s goodness and love toward human beings. With the Lord there is Mercy and fullness of Redemption.
I can see we are all loved equally in the eyes of God. And God remembers neither my sins nor other people’s sins. He has wiped
both mine and their record clean. That is God’s law. If I do not forgive another person, then I am not truly forgiven.
And so I think I must follow God’s model of forgiveness.
Since He put my transgressions behind me through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, I have to forgive other’s wrongdoings against me and forget their sins like Christ did for me. Yet I am used to dwell on and dredge up my ugly past sins because I could not forgive myself and forget them.
Our Psalmist says not to forget God who forgives my sins and heals all my diseases and redeems my life from the pit. Now I praise the Lord, His Holy name, for all He has done for me and His great love, mercy for me.