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From: Daniel 9:4b-10

Daniel’s Penitential Prayer

[4b] “O Lord, the great and terrible God, who keepest covenant and steadfast
love with those who love him and keep his commandments, [5] we have sinned
and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from thy com-
mandments and ordinances; [6] we have not listened to thy servants the pro-
phets, who spoke in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to
all the people of the land. [7] To thee, O LORD, belongs righteousness, but to
us confusion of face, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of
Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those that are near and those that are far away, in
all the lands to which thou hast driven them, because of the treachery which
they have committed against thee. [8] To us, O LORD, belongs confusion of
face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers; because we have sinned
against thee. [9] To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness; because
we have rebelled against him, [10] and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD
our God by following his laws, which he set before us by his servants the pro-
phets.”

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Commentary:

9:4-19. This is a penitential prayer in which Daniel speaks in solidarity with his
people and intercedes on their behalf. He acknowledges that God has acted
justly in punishing the people by driving them out of the chosen land (vv. 4-8),
but he reminds God that he is also forgiving and merciful (v. 9). They have been
punished in line with the Law of Moses (v. 13), but God, who delivered them from
Egypt (v. 15), will surely listen to his servants when they appeal to him, for his
mercy is great (v. 18). If he forgives them, it will redound to the honor of God’s
name (vv. 17, 19). Commenting on v. 18, St Jerome observes: “Daniel expresses
himself in human terms: when we are listened to, it seems as if God has inclined
his ear to us; when he turns to look at us, it seems as if he has opened his eyes;
and when he turns his face away, it is as if we are not worthy of being heard or to
appear in his sight” (”Commentarii in Danielem”, 9, 18). St Basil, on another point,
notes that Daniel’s fasting prepares the ground for the revelation that follows: “Da-
niel would not have seen the vision if he had not first refined his soul by fasting”
(”De Jejunio”, 1,9). For penitential prayers similar to this, see Ezra 9: 6-15; Neh
9; Ps 51; Bar 1:15-3:8. Although Daniel’s prayer is about the ordeal of exile, it is
valid at all times. The Church, too, “embracing in her bosom sinners, at same
time holy and always in need of being purified, always follows the way of pe-
nance and renewal” (Vatican II, “Lumen Gentium”, 8).

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: Luke 6:36-38

Love of Enemies (Continuation)

(Jesus said to His disciples,) [36] “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.
[37] Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be
condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; [38] give, and it will be given to you;
good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your
lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

36. The model of mercy which Christ sets before us is God Himself, of whom St.
Paul says: ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father
of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our afflictions” (2 Corin-
thians 1:3-4). “The first quality of this virtue”, Fray Luis de Granada explains, “is
that it makes men like God and like the most glorious thing in Him, His mercy
(Luke 6:36). For certainly the greatest perfection a creature can have is to be like
His Creator; and the more like Him he is, the more perfect he is. Certainly one of
the things which is most appropriate to God is mercy, which is what the Church
means when it says that prayer: ‘Lord, God, to whom it is proper to be merciful
and forgiving...’. It says that this is proper to God because just as a creature, as
creature, is characteristically poor and needy (and therefore characteristically
receives and does not give), so, on the contrary, since God is infinitely rich and
powerful, to Him alone does it belong to give and not to receive, and therefore it
is appropriate for Him to be merciful and forgiving” (”Book of Prayer and Medita-
tion”, Third Part, Third Treatise).

This is the rule a Christian should apply: be compassionate towards each other
people’s afflictions as if they were one’s own, and try to remedy them. The
Church spells out this rule by giving us a series of corporal works of mercy (visi-
ting and caring for the sick, giving food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty...) and
spiritual works of mercy (teaching the ignorant, correcting the person who has
erred, forgiving injuries...): cf. “St. Pius X Catechism”, 944f.

We should also show understanding towards people who are in error: “Love and
courtesy of this kind should not, of course, make us indifferent to truth and good-
ness. Love, in fact, impels the followers of Christ to proclaim to all men the truth
which saves. But we must distinguish between the error (which must always be
rejected) and the person in error, who never loses his dignity as a person even
though he flounders amid false or inadequate religious ideas. God alone is the
judge and the searcher of hearts; He forbids us to pass judgment on the inner
guilt of others” (Vatican II, “Gaudium Et Spes”, 28).

38. We read in Sacred Scripture of the generosity of the widow of Zarephath,
whom God asked to give food to Elijah the prophet even though she had very lit-
tle left; He then rewarded her generosity by constantly renewing her supply of
meal and oil (1 Kings 17:9ff). The same sort of thing happened when the boy sup-
plied the five loaves and two fish which our Lord multiplied to feed a huge crowd
of people (cf. John 6:9)—a vivid example of what God does when we give Him
whatever we have, even if it does not amount to much.

God does not let Himself be outdone in generosity: “Go, generously and like a
child ask Him: ‘What can You mean to give me when You ask me for “this”?’”
(St. J. Escriva, “The Way”, 153). However much we give God in this life, He will
give us more in life eternal.

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible by Darton, Longman & Todd

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: Violet.

First reading	Daniel 9:4-10 ©

O Lord, God great and to be feared, you keep the covenant and have kindness for those who love you and keep your commandments: we have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly, we have betrayed your commandments and your ordinances and turned away from them. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, our ancestors, and to all the people of the land. Integrity, Lord, is yours; ours the look of shame we wear today, we, the people of Judah, the citizens of Jerusalem, the whole of Israel, near and far away, in every country to which you have dispersed us because of the treason we have committed against you. To us, Lord, the look of shame belongs, to our kings, our princes, our ancestors, because we have sinned against you. To the Lord our God mercy and pardon belong, because we have betrayed him, and have not listened to the voice of the Lord our God nor followed the laws he has given us through his servants the prophets.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 78(79):8-9,11,13 ©

Do not treat us according to our sins, O Lord.

Do not hold the guilt of our fathers against us.

Let your compassion hasten to meet us;

we are left in the depths of distress.

Do not treat us according to our sins, O Lord.

O God our saviour, come to our help.

Come for the sake of the glory of your name.

O Lord our God, forgive us our sins;

rescue us for the sake of your name.

Do not treat us according to our sins, O Lord.

Let the groans of the prisoners come before you;

let your strong arm reprieve those condemned to die.

But we, your people, the flock of your pasture,

will give you thanks for ever and ever.

We will tell your praise from age to age.

Do not treat us according to our sins, O Lord.

Gospel Acclamation

Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!

The seed is the word of God, Christ the sower;

whoever finds this seed will remain for ever.

Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!

Or	cf.Jn6:63,68

Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!

Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life;

you have the message of eternal life.

Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!

Gospel	Luke 6:36-38 ©

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge, and you will not be judged yourselves; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned yourselves; grant pardon, and you will be pardoned. Give, and there will be gifts for you: a full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap; because the amount you measure out is the amount you will be given back.’

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Jesus, High Priest

We thank you, God our Father, for those who have responded to your call to priestly ministry.

Accept this prayer we offer on their behalf: Fill your priests with the sure knowledge of your love.

Open their hearts to the power and consolation of the Holy Spirit.

Lead them to new depths of union with your Son.

Increase in them profound faith in the Sacraments they celebrate as they nourish, strengthen and heal us.

Lord Jesus Christ, grant that these, your priests, may inspire us to strive for holiness by the power of their example, as men of prayer who ponder your word and follow your will.

O Mary, Mother of Christ and our mother, guard with your maternal care these chosen ones, so dear to the Heart of your Son.

Intercede for our priests, that offering the Sacrifice of your Son, they may be conformed more each day to the image of your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Saint John Vianney, universal patron of priests, pray for us and our priests

This icon shows Jesus Christ, our eternal high priest.

The gold pelican over His heart represents self-sacrifice.

The border contains an altar and grapevines, representing the Mass, and icons of Melchizedek and St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney.

Melchizedek: king of righteousness (left icon) was priest and king of Jerusalem. He blessed Abraham and has been considered an ideal priest-king.

St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests.

Pray a Rosary each day for our nation.

1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

2. The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

3. The Lord's Prayer: OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)

5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

6. Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.

Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.

End with the Hail Holy Queen:
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Final step -- The Sign of the Cross

The Mysteries of the Rosary By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary. The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.

The Joyful Mysteries

(Mondays and Saturdays)

1. The Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38) [Spiritual fruit - Humility]
2. The Visitation (Luke 1: 39-56) [Spiritual fruit - Love of Neighbor]
3. The Nativity (Luke 2:1-20) [Spiritual fruit - Poverty of Spirit]
4. The Presentation (Luke 2:21-38) [Spiritual fruit - Purity of mind & body]
5. The Finding of Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:41-52) [Spiritual fruit - Obedience ]

OR: