The 17th of September, 2023 is the Twenty-Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time. The Bible scriptures for the holy mass readings for this day came from the Year 2023 of Liturgical Calendar.
Reading 1: SIR 27:30-28:7
The first reading from The Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach or Ecclesiasticus.
Wrath and anger, these also are abominations. A sinner will possess them.
He who takes vengeance will find vengeance from the Lord, and he will surely make his sins firm.
Forgive your neighbor the hurt that he has done, and then your sins will be pardoned when you pray.
Does anyone harbor anger against another and expect healing from the Lord?
Upon a man like himself he has no mercy, and does he make supplication for his own sins?
He himself, being flesh, nourishes wrath. Who will make atonement for his sins?
Remember your last end, and stop enmity. Remember corruption and death, and be true to the commandments.
Remember the commandments, and don’t be angry with your neighbor. Remember the covenant of the Highest, and overlook ignorance.
Responsorial Psalm: PS 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12
Response: Yahweh is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness.
Praise Yahweh, my soul! All that is within me, praise his holy name!
Praise Yahweh, my soul, and don’t forget all his benefits.
R: Yahweh is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness.
Who forgives all your sins, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies.
R: Yahweh is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness.
He will not always accuse; neither will he stay angry forever.
He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor repaid us for our iniquities.
R: Yahweh is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness.
For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his loving kindness toward those who fear him.
As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
R: Yahweh is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness.
Reading 2: ROM 14:7-9
The second reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans.
For none of us lives to himself, and none dies to himself.
For if we live, we live to the Lord. Or if we die, we die to the Lord. If therefore we live or die, we are the Lord’s.
For to this end Christ died, rose, and lived again, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.
Gospel of the Day: MT 18:21-35
From the gospel verse according to Matthew.
Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times?”
Jesus said to him, “I don’t tell you until seven times, but, until seventy times seven.
Therefore the Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.
When he had begun to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.
But because he couldn’t pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, with his wife, his children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
The servant therefore fell down and knelt before him, saying, ‘Lord, have patience with me, and I will repay you all!’
The lord of that servant, being moved with compassion, released him and forgave him the debt.”
“But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him one hundred denarii, and he grabbed him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’_”
“So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will repay you!’
He would not, but went and cast him into prison until he should pay back that which was due.
So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were exceedingly sorry, and came and told their lord all that was done.
Then his lord called him in and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.
Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, even as I had mercy on you?’
His lord was angry, and delivered him to the tormentors until he should pay all that was due to him.
So my heavenly Father will also do to you, if you don’t each forgive your brother from your hearts for his misdeeds.”