Wednesday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Today's Scripture

Today’s feast, Our Lady of the Rosary, reminds us that Mary as the first disciple said yes to all that discipleship entails.   Mary’s ability to accept God’s will from the beginning was a gift that helped her through the mysteries of being the mother of the Son of God.  Although, the glory of the resurrection helped Mary overcome the sorrow of watching her son’s crucifixion, she must have had an extraordinary ability to forgive.  Forgiveness is perhaps one of the most difficult skills of a disciple.  Today’s feast and readings remind us that it happens best through prayer.

Jonah’s prayers today are examples of how not to pray. “Lord, please take my life from me.” (Jon 4:3a)  His prayer was really saying, Lord let my will not yours be done.  Jonah knew that God was merciful and forgiving.  He had hoped that God would rain destruction down upon the sinful people of Nineveh.  Jonah had not understood the very purpose of the message he had delivered.  Ironically, the sinful people did understand God’s message.  The people of Nineveh repented and that God would spare their city.  In the end, God was merciful to Nineveh. 

This mercy is echoed in the psalm response. “Lord, you are merciful and gracious.” (Ps 86:15)  God’s mercy is something for which we must all be grateful.  This is especially true when we understand the depth of the prayer that Jesus teaches in today’s gospel.  When we pray “forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us”; we are praying that God forgive us, as we forgive others. (Lk 11:4a)   Thankfully the Lord is merciful and doesn’t hold us to the standard we pray there.  Imagine if God forgave us according to our own ability to forgive others.

Reflect on the radical forgiveness that God has given each one of us through Christ.  This is the same forgiveness that spared the people of Nineveh.  It is the same forgiveness which Mary must have had for those who killed her son.  It is the same radical forgiveness which Jesus bestowed from the cross upon those who were having him killed.  Each of us is called to live this model of God’s radical forgiveness.

“Gracious God, we are grateful for all the ways you bless us with your mercy.   Help us to fully live with the spirit of radical forgiveness you encouraged us to have in the Lord’s Prayer.  Soften our hearts to be merciful and gracious like You.  In this way, our lives will echo Mary’s response to the angel Gabriel.  “May it be done to me according to your word.”  Amen! 

 - Michael Montgomery