A WORD FOR TODAY 10 SEPTEMBER 2023

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A WORD FOR TODAY*

*LOVE LIKE CHRIST ALWAYS*

_"Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law."(Romans 13:8 and10)_

*LOVING LIKE JESUS IS NOT EASY*

_*In all sincerity, to love like Jesus is not an easy task, but it is the best way to live a good life that will be pleasing and acceptable before the Lord.*_

*LOVE IS BEAUTIFUL*

_Love is at the center of the readings of today. Where there is true love there will be reconciliation and forgiveness, peace, justice and conflict resolution._

*RESOLVE YOUR DIFFERENCES*

_*We are humans and as such we are bound to have disagreement from time to time, but Jesus expects us to quickly and swiftly resolve the issues so as to live in peace and harmony.*_

*STEPS TO RESOLVE CONFLICTS*

_The gospel reading of today gives us the steps to take in resolving conflicts that may arise in our daily existential struggles. First, you must let your brother or sister know that he or she has offended you, when this works, you have gained him or her. But if it does not work, you must take two other persons to go to him to see how it could be resolved._

_*When this does not work, you must let the Church know about it and see how they could help to get it resolved. However, if this fails, you will treat them as tax collectors or Gentiles. This does not mean that you discard them, it simply means that you put them in prayers and show them empathy so that they could change and seek the way of peace someday.*_

*FORGIVE AND LET PEACE REIGN*

_We are called to forgive those who offend us. We must also ask of forgiveness from those we have offended. It requires sacrifice and honest willingness to let peace reign. We must make sincere effort to win the brother or sister who have done us wrong back into the fold._

*IF YOU LOVE GOD, YOU MUST LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR*

_*If you truly profess a sincere love for God, you are bound by that choice to love your neighbour. You must do everything within you power to work for peace and reconciliation. Be your brothers and sisters keeper, do not let them die in their wickedness and hardness of heart. Win them over to the Lord and there will be joy in heaven. Be the watchman that God has made you to be as the first reading tells us and you will please God in the end.*_

_Good morning dearest one. Smile😊as you begin your day and do have a blessed Sunday. May the Lord give you the grace to resolve the issues you have with people. Amen. *And may the Almighty God bless you: the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.*_

*Meditation:* Ezekiel 33:7-9/Psalm 95:1-2,6-9/Romans 13:8-10/Matthew 18:15-20

*Watch-Word:* O that today you would listen to His voice! Harden not your hearts.

_*God reconciled us in Christ, we must strive to reconcile with one another.*_

(Twenty third Sunday in the Ordinary Time. Year A)

*© Rev. Fr. Augustine Eleke*