Tuesday of the 3rd Week of Lent
First Reading
Daniel 3:25,34–43
The prayer of Azariah emerges from a moment of crisis. In exile and suffering, the people recognise their sin and appeal to God’s covenant mercy. Without temple sacrifice or formal worship, they offer something more fundamental: repentance.
The Catechism teaches that true contrition involves a sincere sorrow for sin and a desire to return to God (CCC 1451–1453). This interior transformation becomes the true offering pleasing to God.
Azariah’s prayer shows that even in the absence of external forms of worship, faith can remain alive through humility and trust.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 24(25):4–6,7–9
Psalm 25 is a prayer for guidance and mercy. The believer asks God to teach His ways and to remember compassion rather than past faults. It reflects a posture of openness and dependence on God’s wisdom.
Gospel
Matthew 18:21–35
Peter asks Jesus how often forgiveness should be extended. The answer — “seventy-seven times” — signals that forgiveness should not be limited or calculated.
The parable that follows contrasts two debts: one impossibly large and another comparatively small. The king forgives the enormous debt, demonstrating extraordinary mercy. Yet the forgiven servant refuses to show the same compassion to another.
The Catechism explains that forgiveness reflects God’s own mercy and lies at the centre of Christian prayer and reconciliation (CCC 2842–2845).
Reflection
These readings reveal a consistent theme: mercy received must transform how we treat others.
Azariah’s prayer recognises human weakness and seeks God’s compassion. The Gospel shows the consequences of receiving mercy without allowing it to reshape the heart.
In everyday life, forgiveness can feel difficult because it involves releasing resentment or perceived justice. Yet the Gospel challenges believers to measure mercy by God’s generosity rather than personal calculation.
Lent becomes a season for examining these inner attitudes. It asks not only whether we seek forgiveness from God, but also whether we extend forgiveness to others.
Mercy grows when hearts remember how much they themselves have received.
One line to carry today
Those who receive mercy are called to give mercy.
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