Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent

Azariah prays in the furnace with contrite heart and humble spirit; Jesus tells Peter to forgive not seven but seventy-seven times and illustrates with a parable about a servant forgiven an unpayable debt who refuses to forgive a small one.

Azariah stands in the fire and prays aloud, acknowledging Israel's sins and asking God not to make void his covenant. With no prince, prophet, or leader, with no temple sacrifice available, he offers a contrite heart and humble spirit, trusting that those who trust in God cannot be put to shame. The psalm begs God to remember his mercies and teach sinners the way. In the Gospel, Peter asks how many times he must forgive - seven? Jesus says seventy-seven times. He tells of a king who forgave a servant an astronomical debt. That servant then seized a fellow servant who owed him far less and had him imprisoned. The king, hearing this, handed the unforgiving servant over to the torturers. Jesus warns: so will my heavenly Father do to you unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart.

DEACON/PRIEST: Lord Jesus, you forgive us debts we can never repay and ask only that we extend the same mercy. PEOPLE: Lord, have mercy.

DEACON/PRIEST: Christ Jesus, you call us to forgive not seven times but seventy-seven - to make mercy a way of life. PEOPLE: Christ, have mercy.

DEACON/PRIEST: Lord Jesus, you receive the contrite heart and humble spirit as a sacrifice more pleasing than any offering. PEOPLE: Lord, have mercy.

PRIEST: Azariah prayed in the furnace with contrite heart and humble spirit. With that same humility, let us bring our prayers before the Lord.

DEACON/LECTOR:

1. For our Holy Father, Pope Leo, and all who exercise authority in the Church: that they would model relentless forgiveness and create communities where mercy is practiced, not just preached, we pray to the Lord.

2. For those who administer justice - in courts, in legislatures, in prisons: that systems of accountability would be tempered by the mercy God shows in this parable, we pray to the Lord.

3. For those trapped in unforgiveness - holding grudges that have hardened over years or decades: that the Holy Spirit would soften what time has calcified and give the grace to release, we pray to the Lord.

4. For families where wounds remain open and debts remain uncancelled: that someone would break the cycle this Lent with an act of costly forgiveness, we pray to the Lord.

5. For those who need to be forgiven and don't know how to ask: that they would encounter mercy before they find the words, we pray to the Lord.

6. For the faithful departed: that the God who forgives seventy-seven times would show them the mercy they longed for, we pray to the Lord.

PRIEST: Merciful Father, you receive the contrite heart and do not despise the humble spirit. Hear our prayers and teach us to forgive as we have been forgiven - without limit, without ledger, from the heart, through Christ our Lord. Amen.