Monday of the Second Week of Lent - March 18, 2019

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Daniel 9: 4b-10  Luke 6:36-38

 Daniel goes to great lengths to describe the sins of the people of Jerusalem. They have been wicked, done evil, departed from the Commandments, disobeyed God’s prophets to the point that God scattered the people far and wide. After making this confession, Daniel prays to live by the law God gave to his servants and prophets.

I believe this Scripture reading is both a confession and a prayer; confessing that God’s people have failed to follow the Commandments, but asking that God forgive them and give them the ability to abide by his laws. We might think of this reading as a prayer that could be incorporated in our own daily prayers.

We should also think about the fact that God is great and awesome and someone we should try to please. I am up early before sunrise about every morning and while I thank God for all He has given us – and He has given us much – I often fail to acknowledge my sinfulness and ask forgiveness. We could apply this prayer of Daniel every morning, giving thanks to God and recognizing that we are not worthy of his forgiveness.

The gospel sets out standards to guide our attitude towards others and how we should treat people. Be compassionate, do not judge, do not condemn, pardon others and be fair to people. In the end, we will be measured by how we treat others. This could also become part of our morning prayer.

When considering both the reading from Daniel and Luke's Gospel we are given a prayer, a confession and a guide to how we should treat others. We need to follow the teachings of the bible thereby receiving the loving embrace of Jesus. This way our lives will be happier and more complete as promised by God.

 Do I thank God for all I have been given? Do I ask God's forgiveness for my sins?

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