Tuesday of the Third Week
“Remember your mercies, O Lord.” “How often must I forgive him?” In the readings today we are struck with these images of asking God for mercy, to be forgiven, to give us a second chance. So often in our world today it is easy to have someone in our lives do something that causes us to shut them out and move on in our lives. As I’m reflecting on these readings, two big takeaways come to mind. First, God will ALWAYS forgive us. There is nothing that we have that will make God love us less. We are a broken people and have been since the beginning of time but God wants to be in relationship with us and will always love us. Our Catholic tradition has a wonderful opportunity of the Sacrament of Reconciliation in which we are completely forgiven from our sins – Lent is a great time to take advantage of that Sacrament.
The second takeaway for me is that we have the responsibility to forgive those who have done wrong against us. As I read this question that Peter poses to Jesus I think about Peter’s biological brother Andrew who was also an apostle traveling with them – Peter may have very well be asking how many times do I have to forgive Andrew. Sometimes it is the people closest to us that we have the hardest time doing this with. Jesus responds with seventy-seven times which in the culture at the time would have meant an infinite or uncountable number. I’ve been reflecting on how I can best serve those around me with a heart of forgiveness, coming at every conversation with love.
Prayer
Loving Father, we ask that You give us the desire on our hearts to seek You out to ask for forgiveness so that we can be in right relationship with You and we ask that You help us to see every opportunity of interaction with others as a way to show Your love.
Emma (Kalamarides) Goff, ’16
Daily Scripture readings can be found online at the USCCB website
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