Show Mercy

Daniel 9:4-10
Luke 6:36-38

In today’s first reading, Daniel pleads guilty.. He says, “we have sinned.”He knows his people are guilty. He can’t deny it and he doesn’t try to. The only hope he has is that God will be merciful. The starting point of our relationship with God is to obtain God’s mercy and have a full purpose of amendment. Daniel sets himself as an example today. Most of us are not very fond of acknowledging our sins; saying ‘we have sinned.’ or “O Lord have mercy on us”.If we do something wrong, we tend to blame someone else or look for an excuse one way or the other. We don’t like to take it on the chin. But Daniel did. If we have committed sin (and we all have) there is no other way forward. We are guilty before God and we have no means of making ourselves righteous. The only way to a restored relationship with God is to say sorry and having a full purpose of amendment. We have to swallow our pride and say sorry and mean it.

In today’s gospel, Christ shows us the way to the Father by telling us to be compassionate and merciful to others. God is merciful. God’s compassion is infinite and always available. God showed His mercifulness by sending Jesus to take the judgment that was supposed to be ours. God’s mercy is available to us today. We have been given a clean slate. The question is, what will you do with God’s mercy today? Remember what scripture says that; The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9).

Fr Joseph Osho