Joshua 3:5 (NABRE)
"SANCTIFY YOURSELF, FOR TOMORROW THE LORD WILL PERFORM WONDERS AMONG YOU."
Colossians 3:14 (NABRE)
"AND OVER ALL THESE PUT ON LOVE, THAT IS, THE BOND OF PERFECTION ."
“No act of virtue can be great if it is not followed by advantage for others. So, no matter how much time you spend fasting, no matter how much you sleep on a hard floor and eat ashes and sigh continually, if you do no good to others, you do nothing great.”
― John Chrysostom

Daily Bible Verse / Reflection

Forgiveness is the precondition for Reconciliation.
"If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions." (Matthew 6: 14-15).

Thursday 17th June 2021, in the 11th Week in Ordinary Time.

Why did Jesus conclude the teaching on Our Father, the Lord's Prayer by stating unequivocally a precondition for the forgiveness of our sins and reconciliation with the Father? This is obviously an important theme for Jesus because He taught it in Matthew 18:21–35, which concluded thus: "Then in anger his master handed him [the unforgiving servant] over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart.”

Reconciliation is crucial to enjoying the privileges of filial adoption. A girl who ran away from home and lived a lawless life for a couple of years may be hesitant as she approaches home. The prodigal son understands the importance of Reconciliation.

Many people claim that forgiveness of the other is hard. Lessons that help forgiveness:
#1. Forgive at once.
#2. Forgive everyone without discrimination.
#3. Forgive always.
#4. Forgive everywhere.
#5. "Father forgive them for they know not what they do." Forgive everyone. This step is modeled for us from the Cross. Jesus forgave those who were killing Him in real time. He did not wait until Sunday when He rose from the dead.
#6. Pray everyday for all those whom you have offended, known or unknown to forgive you and set you free.
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Jesus Christ invites us to a life of continual conversion so that we can pray Our Father (the Lord's Prayer) with confidence.
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Daily Bible Verse @ Seekfirst.blogspot.com