Daily Reading for Tuesday, March 6th, 2018

Reading 1, Daniel 3:25, 34-43

²⁵ Azariah stood in the heart of the fire, praying aloud thus:

³⁴ Do not abandon us for ever, for the sake of your name; do not repudiate your covenant,

³⁵ do not withdraw your favour from us, for the sake of Abraham, your friend, of Isaac, your servant, and of Israel, your holy one,

³⁶ to whom you promised to make their descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as the grains of sand on the seashore.

³⁷ Lord, we have become the least of all nations, we are put to shame today throughout the world, because of our sins.

³⁸ We now have no leader, no prophet, no prince, no burnt offering, no sacrifice, no oblation, no incense, no place where we can make offerings to you

³⁹ and win your favour. But may the contrite soul, the humbled spirit, be as acceptable to you

⁴⁰ as burnt offerings of rams and bullocks, as thousands of fat lambs: such let our sacrifice be to you today, and may it please you that we follow you whole-heartedly, since those who trust in you will not be shamed.

⁴¹ And now we put our whole heart into following you, into fearing you and seeking your face once more.

⁴² Do not abandon us to shame but treat us in accordance with your gentleness, in accordance with the greatness of your mercy.

⁴³ Rescue us in accordance with your wonderful deeds and win fresh glory for your name, O Lord.

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9

⁴ DIRECT me in your ways, Yahweh, and teach me your paths.

⁵ ENCOURAGE me to walk in your truth and teach me since you are the God who saves me. FOR my hope is in you all day long -- such is your generosity, Yahweh.

⁶ GOODNESS and faithful love have been yours for ever, Yahweh, do not forget them.

⁷ HOLD not my youthful sins against me, but remember me as your faithful love dictates.

⁸ INTEGRITY and generosity are marks of Yahweh for he brings sinners back to the path.

⁹ JUDICIOUSLY he guides the humble, instructing the poor in his way.

Gospel, Matthew 18:21-35

²¹ Then Peter went up to him and said, 'Lord, how often must I forgive my brother if he wrongs me? As often as seven times?'

²² Jesus answered, 'Not seven, I tell you, but seventy-seven times.

²³ 'And so the kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a king who decided to settle his accounts with his servants.

²⁴ When the reckoning began, they brought him a man who owed ten thousand talents;

²⁵ he had no means of paying, so his master gave orders that he should be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, to meet the debt.

²⁶ At this, the servant threw himself down at his master's feet, with the words, "Be patient with me and I will pay the whole sum."

²⁷ And the servant's master felt so sorry for him that he let him go and cancelled the debt.

²⁸ Now as this servant went out, he happened to meet a fellow-servant who owed him one hundred denarii; and he seized him by the throat and began to throttle him, saying, "Pay what you owe me."

²⁹ His fellow-servant fell at his feet and appealed to him, saying, "Be patient with me and I will pay you."

³⁰ But the other would not agree; on the contrary, he had him thrown into prison till he should pay the debt.

³¹ His fellow-servants were deeply distressed when they saw what had happened, and they went to their master and reported the whole affair to him.

³² Then the master sent for the man and said to him, "You wicked servant, I cancelled all that debt of yours when you appealed to me.

³³ Were you not bound, then, to have pity on your fellow-servant just as I had pity on you?"

³⁴ And in his anger the master handed him over to the torturers till he should pay all his debt.

³⁵ And that is how my heavenly Father will deal with you unless you each forgive your brother from your heart.'