Delivered and forgiving

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today encourage lively engagement of God in prayer even as we learn that generosity and compassion define our approach to others.

Lively connection to compassion

The Book of Daniel presents the Prayer of Azariah, verses that are additions to the Aramaic text of Daniel.

 * [3:24–90] These verses are additions to the Aramaic text of Daniel, translated from the Greek form of the book. They were probably first composed in Hebrew or Aramaic, but are no longer extant in the original language. The Roman Catholic Church has always regarded them as part of the canonical Scriptures.1

The psalmist mixes ardent pleas with expressions of confidence in God who forgives and guides us.

* [Psalm 25] A lament. Each verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Such acrostic Psalms are often a series of statements only loosely connected. The psalmist mixes ardent pleas (Ps 25:1–2, 16–22) with expressions of confidence in God who forgives and guides.2 

In the Gospel from Matthew, the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant sets the bar for Christian forgiveness.

* [18:35] The Father’s forgiveness, already given, will be withdrawn at the final judgment for those who have not imitated his forgiveness by their own.3 

Chas Kestermeier, S.J. comments that the application of this parable to us is clear and then asks if we have really learned to be generous in our goods and even more in our forgiving and in building others up?

The Christianity in view website connects the Prayer of Azariah to Roman Catholic and Anglican Morning Prayer.

 These sections are retained in the Septuagint and in the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Biblical canon; the "Song of the Three Holy Youths" is part of the hymn called a canon sung during the Matins and other services in Orthodoxy; and it can be found in the Church of England Book of Common Prayer as the canticle Benedicite omnia Opera.4

Don Schwager quotes “A daily remedy for our sins,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"Forgive us our debts as we also forgive our debtors. Let us say this sentence with sincerity, because it is an alms in itself. Sins that oppress and bury us cannot be termed trifles! What is more minute than drops of rain? Yet they fill the rivers. What is more minute than grains of wheat? Yet they fill the barns. You note the fact that these sins are rather small, but you do not take note that there are many of them. In any case, God has given us a daily remedy for them." (excerpt from Sermon 205,1) 5 

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 18:21-35 recalls we are all recipients of God’s overflowing, transforming mercy. It’s a generosity that bursts forth from the Father’s heart. Like a river overflowing its banks, it cannot be contained. It flows everywhere and washes everyone clean who remains in its path and lets it wash over them.

The next time you are the injured party and you are thinking about what you consider the demands of justice to be, take a moment to widen your point of view. Remember that another person is involved—another recipient of God’s love and mercy. Remember the way that God looks at you, and try to look at the other person with the same love, compassion, and forgiveness. Ask yourself, How can I possibly withhold forgiveness when God never held back from me?6 

Friar Jude Winkler identifies the chutzpah in the penitential prayer in the Book of Daniel. The role of the perfect number in the passage from Matthew is to define our requirement to forgive as limitless. Friar Jude reminds us that our forgiveness is based on the need of the recipient. Our generosity and compassion opens our heart to a greater connection to God.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, cites Walter Brueggemann, one of his favorite Scripture scholars, who brilliantly connects the development of the Hebrew Scriptures with the development of human consciousness. [1]

The second major section of the Hebrew Scriptures, the Prophets, introduces the necessary suffering, “stumbling stones,” and failures that initiate you into the second half of life. Prophetic thinking is the capacity for healthy self-criticism, the ability to recognize your own dark side. Without failure, suffering, and shadowboxing, most people (and most of religion) never move beyond narcissism and clannish thinking (egoism extended to the group). This has been most of human history up to now, which is why war has been the norm. But healthy self-criticism helps you realize you are not that good and neither is your group. It begins to break down either/or, dualistic thinking as you realize all things are both good and bad. This makes idolatry, and the delusions that go with it, impossible.7 

As we forgive those who trespass against us, we grow in development of the spiritual maturity suitable to our second half of life.

References

1	(n.d.). Daniel, chapter 3 - usccb. Retrieved March 26, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/daniel/3
2	(n.d.). Psalms, chapter 25 - usccb. Retrieved March 26, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/25
3	(n.d.). Unforgiving Servant - usccb. Retrieved March 26, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/matthew/matthew18.htm
4	(2012, May 17). The Bible: Prayer of Azariah - Christianity in View. Retrieved March 26, 2019, from http://christianityinview.com/books/azariah.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved March 26, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
6	(n.d.). 3rd Week of Lent - Mass Readings and Catholic Daily Meditations for .... Retrieved March 26, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/03/26
7	(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archive: March 2019 - Daily Meditations Archives .... Retrieved March 26, 2019, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/2019/03/