Word to the Wise
Tuesday, February 20, 2018 - 1st Week of Lent - Tues
[Isa 55:10-11 and Matt 6:7-15]TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2018. TUESDAY IN THE FIRST WEEK OF LENT [Isaiah 55:10-11 and Matthew 6:7-15] "....and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us...." [Matthew] Do those words seem familiar? We probably pray them thousands of times in our life. If we want to know what Jesus meant by them when he taught the disciples how to pray, we can go to Matthew 19:21-35, the parable of the Unforgiving Servant! If we wish God to forgive us, we must be willing to forgive others. Many of us feel that the Sacrament of Reconciliation means only that we confess to God in secret and the unforgiveness in our life is gone. The sacrament is really only the beginning step. Forgiveness is not easy. Right now I am in South Florida where the recent brutal school shooting took place. 17 people were killed and many others wounded. Forgiveness here is being tested deeply, as it was in South Carolina, not long ago. But those are dramatic examples, and can distract us by their horror from the unforgiveness nearest to us. This evening, at a parish in Florida, I will use the examination of conscience that I have mentioned here before that asks the person to look at their relationships close and distant to see where unforgiveness may be lurking or even open. Given the predominantly elderly population at this time of year, some of the unforgiveness may go back many years. But if we want to say the Lord's Prayer honestly and ask for God's forgiveness to the extent that we forgive others, this examination of conscience is the all-important first step! AMEN
config
view
logs
3840.0 KB
97 ms
4
