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Saturday of the Twenty-Third Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 : 1 Corinthians 10:14-22

My beloved ones, avoid idolatry.
I am speaking as to sensible people;
judge for yourselves what I am saying.
The cup of blessing that we bless,
is it not a participation in the Blood of Christ?
The bread that we break,
is it not a participation in the Body of Christ?
Because the loaf of bread is one,
we, though many, are one Body,
for we all partake of the one loaf.

Look at Israel according to the flesh;
are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar?
So what am I saying?
That meat sacrificed to idols is anything?
Or that an idol is anything?
No, I mean that what they sacrifice,
they sacrifice to demons, not to God,
and I do not want you to become participants with demons.
You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and also the cup of demons.
You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and of the table of demons.
Or are we provoking the Lord to jealous anger?
Are we stronger than him?

Responsorial Psalm : Psalm 116:12-13, 17-18

R. (17) To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.

How shall I make a return to the LORD
for all the good he has done for me?
The cup of salvation I will take up,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.

R. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.

To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people.

R. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.

Alleluia : John 14:23

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel : Luke 6:43-49

Jesus said to his disciples:
“A good tree does not bear rotten fruit,
nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit.
For every tree is known by its own fruit.
For people do not pick figs from thornbushes,
nor do they gather grapes from brambles.
A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good,
but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil;
for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but not do what I command?
I will show you what someone is like who comes to me,
listens to my words, and acts on them.
That one is like a man building a house,
who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock;
when the flood came, the river burst against that house
but could not shake it because it had been well built.
But the one who listens and does not act
is like a person who built a house on the ground
without a foundation.
When the river burst against it,
it collapsed at once and was completely destroyed.”

Message from the Readings

Today’s readings proclaim one of the most challenging and liberating truths of the Gospel:
Forgiveness is not optional—it is the heart of Christian life.
• Sirach warns that anger and resentment destroy the soul.
• The psalm celebrates God’s limitless mercy.
• Paul reminds us that our lives belong entirely to Christ.
• Jesus teaches that we must forgive as generously as God forgives us.
The message is clear: We are forgiven people—so we must become forgiving people.

 Reflection for the Day

Sirach speaks directly to the human heart:
“Wrath and anger are hateful things.”
They consume us from within. They distort our relationships. They poison our peace.
Sirach’s remedy is simple but demanding:
• Forgive your neighbor’s injustice.
• Let go of resentment.
• Remember your own need for mercy.
• Keep your eyes on eternity.
Psalm 103 then lifts our hearts with one of the most beautiful descriptions of God:
• He pardons all your sins.
• He heals your wounds.
• He redeems your life.
• He crowns you with compassion.
• He removes your sins “as far as the east is from the west.”
God’s mercy is not measured—it is infinite.
Paul adds a profound truth:
“Whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.”
Our identity is rooted not in our failures or wounds, but in Christ’s saving love. We belong to Him—fully, eternally.
Then Jesus gives Peter a teaching that overturns human logic:
Peter asks, “How many times must I forgive? Seven times?”
Jesus answers:
“Not seven times, but seventy‑seven times.”
In other words: Forgiveness must be limitless.
He then tells the parable of the unforgiving servant:
• A servant is forgiven an impossible debt.
• Yet he refuses to forgive a small one.
• His lack of mercy reveals a heart untouched by grace.
Jesus’ message is unmistakable:
If you have truly received God’s mercy, you must extend mercy to others.
Forgiveness is not weakness—it is freedom. It is not forgetting—it is releasing. It is not excusing—it is healing.
Today’s readings invite us to three movements:

1. Let go of resentment.
   Anger binds; forgiveness frees.
2. Receive God’s mercy deeply.
   Let His compassion reshape your heart.
3. Forgive generously.
   Not once, not occasionally, but continually.
   Let today be a day of mercy, healing, and restored relationships.

 Prayer for Today

Lord Jesus, teach me to forgive as You forgive. Free my heart from anger, resentment, and the wounds I hold onto.
Let Your mercy wash over me and transform the way I treat others.
Make me patient, gentle, and generous in forgiveness.
Help me remember that I belong to You and that Your love is stronger than any hurt I carry.
Amen.