Judgement, Persecution and Destruction

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today recall the Destruction and Disaster of Biblical Wars in contrast with Jesus' love and compassion.

Upend notions of retributive justice

The Reading from the Book of Daniel describes The Seventy Weeks of Years.

* [9:2] Seventy years: Jeremiah was understood to prophesy a Babylonian captivity of seventy years, a round number signifying the complete passing away of the existing generation (Jer 25:11; 29:10). On this view Jeremiah’s prophecy was seen to be fulfilled in the capture of Babylon by Cyrus and the subsequent return of the Jews to Palestine. However, the author of Daniel, living during the persecution of Antiochus, extends Jeremiah’s number to seventy weeks of years (Dn 9:24), i.e., seven times seventy years, to encompass the period of Seleucid persecution. (Daniel, CHAPTER 9 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 79 laments the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonian army in 587 B.C.

* [Psalm 79] A communal lament complaining that the nations have defiled the Temple and murdered the holy people, leaving their corpses unburied (Ps 79:1–4). The occasion is probably the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonian army in 587 B.C. The people ask how long the withdrawal of divine  favor will last (Ps 79:5), pray for action now (Ps 79:6–7), and admit that their own sins have brought about the catastrophe (Ps 79:8–9). They seek to persuade God to act for reasons of honor: the nations who do not call upon the Name are running amok (Ps 79:6); the divine honor is compromised (Ps 79:1, 10, 12); God’s own servants suffer (Ps 79:2–4, 11). (Psalms, PSALM 79 | USCCB, n.d.)

The “Sermon on the Plain” in the Gospel of Luke exhorts us to avoid Judging Others.

* [6:20–49] Luke’s “Sermon on the Plain” is the counterpart to Matthew’s “Sermon on the Mount” (Mt 5:1–7:27). It is addressed to the disciples of Jesus, and, like the sermon in Matthew, it begins with beatitudes (Lk 6:20–22) and ends with the parable of the two houses (Lk 6:46–49). Almost all the words of Jesus reported by Luke are found in Matthew’s version, but because Matthew includes sayings that were related to specifically Jewish Christian problems (e.g., Mt 5:17–20; 6:1–8, 16–18) that Luke did not find appropriate for his predominantly Gentile Christian audience, the “Sermon on the Mount” is considerably longer. Luke’s sermon may be outlined as follows: an introduction consisting of blessings and woes (Lk 6:20–26); the love of one’s enemies (Lk 6:27–36); the demands of loving one’s neighbor (Lk 6:37–42); good deeds as proof of one’s goodness (Lk 6:43–45); a parable illustrating the result of listening to and acting on the words of Jesus (Lk 6:46–49). At the core of the sermon is Jesus’ teaching on the love of one’s enemies (Lk 6:27–36) that has as its source of motivation God’s graciousness and compassion for all humanity (Lk 6:35–36) and Jesus’ teaching on the love of one’s neighbor (Lk 6:37–42) that is characterized by forgiveness and generosity. (Luke, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB, n.d.)

Rev. Elvin Cardoso, SJ, comments that forgiving small hurts may seem manageable, like a harsh word from a spouse, an embarrassing moment at work, or a misunderstanding among friends. But what about deeper wounds?

“Stop judging… stop condemning… forgive and you will be forgiven” (Lk 6:37). These words feel counterintuitive in a world driven by retaliation and fear. But spiritually, we know the truth: we all miss the mark. We all depend daily on forgiveness. And God never withholds it. Divine love always precedes our efforts; it is the source from which our mercy flows. The mercy we receive is universal, constant, and unconditional. If we are created in God’s likeness, then such mercy is deeply rooted within us to be shown to others as well.

The message of the readings today, then, is this revelation: we are loved beyond measure. From that overflowing love, we are empowered to love and forgive beyond what seems humanly possible. To be merciful as the Father is merciful is our challenge, our calling, and our hope—not just for today or during Lent, but to be practiced every day. (Cardoso, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes The Practice of Mercy, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"The practice of mercy is twofold: when vengeance is sacrificed and when compassion is shown. The Lord included both of these in his brief sentence: 'Forgive, and you shall be forgiven; give, and it shall be given to you.' This work has the effect of purifying the heart, so that, even under the limitations of this life, we are enabled with pure mind to see the immutable reality of God. There is something holding us back, which has to be loosed so that our sight may break through to the light. In connection with this the Lord said, 'Give alms, and behold, all things are clean to you.' Therefore the next and sixth step is that cleansing of the heart." (excerpt from Letter 171A.2) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that Daniel offers a penitential prayer for the suffering of those who have sinned but now he seeks “hesed”, covenant love and “emet” faithfulness as characteristics of God in Hebrew faith. Punishment is meant to be therapeutic, calling us back and we can't do it on our own. Rejecting judging means we cannot judge people as evil but as broken. We can give of ourselves in forgiveness and we are free of the burden of rancour on our hearts. Friar Jude notes that God fills our heart with the overflowing love and our ability to accept or reject God's Love increases or decreases with our choice to act with love or retribution.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 6:36-38 comments that Jesus warns us, “The measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you” (Luke 6:38). He would much rather have us treat one another with mercy, even to the point where he promises, “Forgive and you will be forgiven” (6:37).

Above all, think about the way he forgave those who condemned him to death, those who nailed his hands and feet to the cross, and those who stood by and jeered and taunted him while he hung there (Luke 23:34). Jesus’ persecutors were acting cruelly, no doubt, but they were blinded by their ignorance and their inability to see in Jesus the mercy that could set them free. And so many times, this is true of us—we condemn because we cannot see. We cannot see the whole person we are condemning, and we cannot see the image of God in them. May the Lord open our eyes and teach us to see through his eyes of mercy!

“Jesus, teach me to be merciful as you are merciful!” (Meditation on Luke 6:36-38, n.d.)

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, considers how God used the prophets to upend notions of retributive justice, which prevail in most cultures to this day.

By his final verses, Amos sees God as more merciful and more compassionate, even as he continues to lament Israel’s foolishness and failures:

That day I will re-erect the tottering hut of David,

Make good the gaps in it,

Restore the ancient ruins,

And rebuild its ancient ruins (Amos 9:11).

Amos is inaugurating a revolution in our understanding of how divine love operates among us. This is no longer retribution or punishment, but a full reordering. It is such divine extravagance, a philosophy of “love them into loving me back”, that sets the pattern for all the prophets to follow. He represents a strong and clear movement away from retribution and punishment to what will become a new covenant of restorative justice that we see worked out in Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and, of course, in the life of Jesus. This changes everything, or at least it should. (Rohr, n.d.)

We implore the Spirit, in a world driven by retaliation and fear, to guide us in expressing a philosophy of “love them into loving me back” as we advocate for peace and reconciliation for all people through our observance of Lent and Ramadan.

References

Cardoso, E. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved March 2, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-march-2-2026 

Daniel, CHAPTER 9 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 2, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/daniel/9?4 

Luke, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 2, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/6?36 

Meditation on Luke 6:36-38. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved March 2, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/03/02/1511131/ 

Psalms, PSALM 79 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 2, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/79?8 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. A Prophet’s Call for Justice. Retrieved March 2, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/a-prophets-call-for-justice/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Be Merciful as Your Father Is Merciful. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved March 2, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Continuing Testament

The Texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to contemplate and share the message of the Transfiguration for our journey as followers of Christ.

Testament and Transformation

The Reading from the Book of Genesis presents Abram’s Call and Migration.

* [12:1–3] Go forth…find blessing in you: the syntax of the Hebrew suggests that the blessings promised to Abraham are contingent on his going to Canaan.

* [12:2] The call of Abraham begins a new history of blessing (18:18; 22:15–18), which is passed on in each instance to the chosen successor (26:2–4; 28:14). This call evokes the last story in the primeval history (11:1–9) by reversing its themes: Abraham goes forth rather than settle down; it is God rather than Abraham who will make a name for him; the families of the earth will find blessing in him.

* [12:3] Will find blessing in you: the Hebrew conjugation of the verb here and in 18:18 and 28:14 can be either reflexive (“shall bless themselves by you” = people will invoke Abraham as an example of someone blessed by God) or passive (“by you all the families of earth will be blessed” = the religious privileges of Abraham and his descendants ultimately will be extended to the nations). In 22:18 and 26:4, another conjugation of the same verb is used in a similar context that is undoubtedly reflexive (“bless themselves”). Many scholars suggest that the two passages in which the sense is clear should determine the interpretation of the three ambiguous passages: the privileged blessing enjoyed by Abraham and his descendants will awaken in all peoples the desire to enjoy those same blessings. Since the term is understood in a passive sense in the New Testament (Acts 3:25; Gal 3:8), it is rendered here by a neutral expression that admits of both meanings. (Genesis, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 33 praises God who created the three-tiered universe of the heavens.

* [Psalm 33] A hymn in which the just are invited (Ps 33:1–3) to praise God, who by a mere word (Ps 33:4–5) created the three-tiered universe of the heavens, the cosmic waters, and the earth (Ps 33:6–9). Human words, in contrast, effect nothing (Ps 33:10–11). The greatness of human beings consists in God’s choosing them as a special people and their faithful response (Ps 33:12–22). (Psalms, PSALM 33 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Reading from the First Letter of Timothy declares that Christians value the Old Testament as the first stage in God’s revelation of his saving plan.

* [1:8–11] Those responsible for the speculations that are to be suppressed by Timothy do not present the Old Testament from the Christian viewpoint. The Christian values the Old Testament not as a system of law but as the first stage in God’s revelation of his saving plan, which is brought to fulfillment in the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

* [1:10] Sodomites: see 1 Cor 6:9 and the note there. (1 Timothy, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Matthew presents The Transfiguration of Jesus.

* [17:1–8] The account of the transfiguration confirms that Jesus is the Son of God (Mt 17:5) and points to fulfillment of the prediction that he will come in his Father’s glory at the end of the age (Mt 16:27). It has been explained by some as a resurrection appearance retrojected into the time of Jesus’ ministry, but that is not probable since the account lacks many of the usual elements of the resurrection-appearance narratives. It draws upon motifs from the Old Testament and noncanonical Jewish apocalyptic literature that express the presence of the heavenly and the divine, e.g., brilliant light, white garments, and the overshadowing cloud.

* [17:1] These three disciples are also taken apart from the others by Jesus in Gethsemane (Mt 26:37). A high mountain: this has been identified with Tabor or Hermon, but probably no specific mountain was intended by the evangelist or by his Marcan source (Mk 9:2). Its meaning is theological rather than geographical, possibly recalling the revelation to Moses on Mount Sinai (Ex 24:12–18) and to Elijah at the same place (1 Kgs 19:8–18; Horeb = Sinai).

* [17:2] His face shone like the sun: this is a Matthean addition; cf. Dn 10:6. His clothes became white as light: cf. Dn 7:9, where the clothing of God appears “snow bright.” For the white garments of other heavenly beings, see Rev 4:4; 7:9; 19:14.

* [17:3] See note on Mk 9:5.

* [17:4] Three tents: the booths in which the Israelites lived during the feast of Tabernacles (cf. Jn 7:2) were meant to recall their ancestors’ dwelling in booths during the journey from Egypt to the promised land (Lv 23:39–42). The same Greek word, skēnē, here translated tents, is used in the LXX for the booths of that feast, and some scholars have suggested that there is an allusion here to that liturgical custom.

* [17:5] Cloud cast a shadow over them: see note on Mk 9:7. This is my beloved Son…listen to him: cf. Mt 3:17. The voice repeats the baptismal proclamation about Jesus, with the addition of the command listen to him. The latter is a reference to Dt 18:15 in which the Israelites are commanded to listen to the prophet like Moses whom God will raise up for them. The command to listen to Jesus is general, but in this context it probably applies particularly to the preceding predictions of his passion and resurrection (Mt 16:21) and of his coming (Mt 16:27, 28).

* [17:6–7] A Matthean addition; cf. Dn 10:9–10, 18–19. (Matthew, CHAPTER 17, n.d.)

Rev. Andy Alexander, SJ, comments that Lent is a journey.  Like Abram, we are called to leave our “home” – the unhealthy, deadly, unloving patterns we call home – and to make our home in Jesus. In these words, or with our own words - let us pray.

Dear Lord, I really need your help these days of Lent. Accompany me, guide me, comfort me to receive the gifts and graces you want to offer me, so that I might grow in freedom, in courage and in hope. Make my heart more like yours.  Don’t let me be afraid or discouraged.  Let me be a source of healing and reconciliation. Let me put my trust in you, as we grow close each day on this journey. (Alexander, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Listen to Him,” by Leo the Great, 400?-461 A.D.

"A voice from the cloud said, This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him. I am manifested through his preaching. I am glorified through his humility. So listen to him without hesitation. He is the truth and the life. He is my strength and wisdom. "Listen to him" whom the mysteries of the law foreshadowed, of whom the mouths of the prophets sang. "Listen to him" who by his blood redeemed the world, who binds the devil and seizes his vessels, who breaks the debt of sin and the bondage of iniquity. "Listen to him" who opens the way to heaven and by the pain of the cross prepares for you the steps of ascent into his kingdom." (excerpt from Sermon 38,7) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that the imagery of the early chapters of Genesis changes in Chapter 12 to the real history. Abram is called to lead his land. He trusts and wades into the unknown. Timothy exhorts us to live as Christ calls us to live until His return. The Transfiguration involves the Big Three Peter, James, and John traditionally on Mt Tabor. We see a theophany the divinity of Jesus. Moses and Elijah represent the Law and Prophets Along with Enoch they are associated with apocalyptic books that represent the revelation of the secrets of heaven. And they offer to build three tents for the holiness of God. Friar Jude comments that even in the moment of glory the event is associated with His passion by the Suffering Servant words used by Jesus to declare manifestation of the glory of Jesus in His love on the Cross.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 17:1-9 comments that Jesus revealed his glory to them to give them a glimpse of where he was headed—and a glimpse of their own target. He gave them a foretaste of their own future glory, and that revelation strengthened them for the difficult path ahead.

Let today’s Gospel do that for you, too! We are at the start of Lent, but we know that the time will come when we will see Jesus, beaten and bloodied, stripped of all dignity, raised up on a cross between two criminals. That’s the time to remember the transfiguration, when his glory shone brightly on the mountain. Even in his suffering, Jesus knew what his destination was: resurrection. And in our struggles, we can look toward our destination—heavenly glory, in union with Jesus!

“Jesus, help me hold onto this glorious vision as I aim toward heaven.” (Meditation on Matthew 17:1-9, n.d.)

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, emphasizes how God’s justice in the Bible is fundamentally loving and restorative rather than punitive. God wins by making sure we win—just as any loving human parent does. 

Love is the only thing that transforms the human heart. In the Gospels, we see Jesus fully revealing this divine wisdom. Love takes the shape and symbolism of healing and radical forgiveness—which is just about all that Jesus does. Jesus, who represents God, usually transforms people at the moments when they most hate themselves, when they most feel shame or guilt, or want to punish themselves. Look at Jesus’s interaction with the tax collector Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1–10). He doesn’t belittle or punish Zacchaeus; instead, Jesus goes to his home, shares a meal with him, and treats him like a friend. Zacchaeus’s heart is opened and transformed. Only then does Zacchaeus commit to making reparations for the harm he has done.

As Isaiah says of God, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways” (Isaiah 55:8). Yet I am afraid we largely pulled God down into “our thoughts.” We think fear, anger, divine intimidation, threat, and punishment are going to lead people to love. We cannot lead people to the highest level of motivation by teaching them the lowest. God always and forever models the highest, and our task is merely to “imitate God” (Ephesians 5:1). (Rohr, n.d.)

We petition the Spirit for inspiration in the Transfiguration of Jesus to be agents of the care, love and mercy that reveal the love of Christ for all people.

References

Alexander, A. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved March 1, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-march-1-2026 

Genesis, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings. Retrieved March 1, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/genesis/12?1 

Matthew, CHAPTER 17. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved March 1, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/17?1 

Meditation on Matthew 17:1-9. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved March 1, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/03/01/1510533/ 

1 Timothy, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 1, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1timothy/1?8 

Psalms, PSALM 33 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 1, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/33?4 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved March 1, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/just-love/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Listen to My Beloved Son. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved March 1, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/