The readings of this day speak of the God of mercy and compassion, the God of the poor, miserable and weak. They also speak of the children of the Father; their image, nature and deeds.
The readings begin with the book of Exodus, in which God shows His response to the groans of the people and their humiliation after cruel slavery.
“Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage.
So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.
And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them.” (Exodus 2)
In the book of Isaiah, despite the evils of the people in the old days and the many injustices, He reproaches them fatherly and draws for them the path of return and salvation.
” I have nourished and brought up children, And they have rebelled against Me;
“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil,
Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow.
“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.” (Isaiah 1)
Therefore, in the Vespers psalm, the soul resorts to the mercies of God for healing in its weakness.
“Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.” (Psalms 6)
In the Matins gospel, when the Jews spoke blasphemously against the son of Man for casting out demons, they were
confronted by their own kind; the simple disciples who were also casting out demons.
“And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges.” (Matthew 12)
Then, He lists in the Pauline Epistle the types of human evils that are incompatible with mercy and compassion.
“being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful;” (Romans 1)
Nevertheless, God extends His love to all for the sake of repentance, and warns against underestimating the richness of His mercies.
“Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?
But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath ” (Romans 2)
Catholic Epistle also warns against the sin of nepotism in the church, which distorts the declaration and truth of the Father’s paternity for all, and the value of all members of the church: poor and rich, slaves and free.
“For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes,
and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,”
Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?
But you have dishonored the poor man.” (James 2)
Praxis is interested in showing God’s mercy with His faithful servants and preachers by saving them from death despite
stoning, who ,in turn ,also strengthen and support others, and also shows God’s mercy towards the Gentiles and their acceptance in the faith.
“they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead.
However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.
And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch,
strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith,
they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.”
(Acts 14)
Therefore, in the psalm of the liturgy, the souls of the unfortunate are reassured by their God and His many mercies .
“The poor shall eat and be satisfied; Those who seek Him will praise the Lord. Let your heart live forever!”(Psalms 22)
The Gospel of the mass concludes with the image of the Father’s children, who are the servants of all.They are also these little ones who live in peace and gentleness of pigeons and lambs, and the most dangerous thing that hinders the Father’s work in His children is pride, partisanship and missteps.
“If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”
Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them. And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them,
“Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me.”
“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.
Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another.” (Mark 9)
The summary of the readings
God hears the moans of His people, their cries and prayers(Exodus Book)
God reproaches His children and calls them to repentance(Isaiah Book)
The soul realizes its weakness and takes refuge in the mercy of God(the Matins psalm)
Human evils are incompatible with mercy and compassion(Pauline Epistle)
God’s long-suffering and compassion aims at man’s repentance(Pauline Epistle)
Nepotism in the church is against the dignity and worth of the children of God the father(Catholic Epistle)
God’s mercy saves the preachers from harm(Praxis)
The wretched get satisfied with the God of mercy(the liturgy psalm)
The children of the merciful Father are the servants of all, and they are the children and these little ones(the liturgy gospel)