Here are some of the themes that we find in the Mass readings for the 24th Sunday of the Year.
1st Reading – Sirach 27:30-28:9
While wrath and anger are hateful things, the sinner hugs them tight.
If a person expects mercy and pardon for sins, enmity must be set aside.
Psalm – 103:1-4,9-12
“The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger, and rich in compassion.”
God pardons, heals, and redeems us out of kindness.
2nd Reading – Romans 14:7-9
None of us lives or dies for oneself, but for the Lord.
Christ has died and rose that he might be Lord of the dead and the living.
Gospel – Matthew 18:21-35
When asked by Peter how often must he forgive his brother, Jesus offers a parable about a servant who failed to forgive someone in a small way after he had experienced great forgiveness from his master.
The Lord then applies the parable to us all: we must forgive one another if we expect to be forgiven by God.
The parable of the Prodigal Son reveals the extraordinary love of the Father. This love extends to us, in our weaknesses and sins, reminding us to acknowledge our need for God’s grace in our lives today.
The pity of Jesus in the presence of a leper reveals the Lord’s compassion for human suffering. As Christ heals the leper, we recognize God’s great desire to restore us to health and wholeness.
Jesus heals a paralytic who was brought to him by others who were determined and faithful. May their witness inspire us to bring others to Christ for the healing they need.
Jesus empowers and sends out the Apostles to continue his ministry. What’s more, the Lord’s compassion for those in need sets the context for how we serve one another in his name.
When asked, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus responds with the parable of the Good Samaritan, inviting us to consider how we might go beyond the ordinary call of duty to put God’s love into practice.
Three Great Things 