A WORD FOR TODAY 17 SEPTEMBER 2023

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*A WORD FOR TODAY*

*FORGIVE AND YOU WILL BE FORGIVEN*

_"And in anger his lord delivered him to the jailers, till he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”(Matthew 18:34-35)_

*CONFLICTS ARE BOUND TO HAPPEN*

_*There is no way we can live in this world without offending anyone or even people offending us. Infact, on a daily basis we see ourselves offend God and we come to Him to ask for mercy and forgiveness.*_

*FORGIVENESS HAS NO LIMIT*

_In the gospel reading of today, Jesus teaches us through His response to Peter's question that forgiveness is not something you do for a time and stop, but something you must always offer, so long as a hurt has been done._

*WE ARE IN DEBT TO GOD*

_*We are perpetually in debt to God and as such we must be ready to forgive those who offend us, because that is the only way we ourselves will find forgiveness from God when we seek Him out.*_

*WHAT IS OCCUPYING YOUR HEART, LOVE OR HATE?*

_You cannot expect to find forgiveness and mercy from God when your heart is filled with anger, wrath and thirst for vengeance. Infact, in this state, you cannot pray well, because your prayer will be an insult to God._

*UNFORGIVENESS PUTS YOU IN PRISON*

_*We must forgive as God has forgiven us so that we may find peace and make progress in life. If you fail to forgive, you lock yourself up in the prison of grudge and bitterness which eventually will bring sickness, depression and even death.*_

*THE LORD IS COMPASSIONATE*

_The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy. This response to the psalm of today tells us about this attribute of God which we must emulate. Jesus forgave those who offended Him even without them coming to ask for forgiveness. He took excuse for them before the Father that they are ignorant of what they were doing. We should learn to do the same._

*YOU TOO CAN FORGIVE*

_*Yes, you too can forgive. Yes they have shown you 'shege'(dealt with you), they have hurt you severally, especially those you called friends. You must forgive for your own good. You may not forget, but when you truly forgive from your heart, you will feel no more pain when you remember the hurt.*_

*DROP ANGER AND HATE, PICK UP LOVE*

_You cannot harbour anger in your heart against another person and come to seek for blessings from God. To fail to forgive is to invite sickness and to lock up yourself and until you forgive you can never be free. Therefore, forgive, let go and be free to serve your God well and receive more mercy and blessings from Him._

_*Good morning dearest one. Smile😊as you begin your day and do have a magnificent Sunday. May God give you the grace to forgive those who have offended you. Amen. And may the Almighty God bless you: the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.*_

*Meditation:* Sirach 27:30-28:7/Psalm 103:1-4,9-12/Romans 14:7-9/Matthew 18:21-35

*Watch-Word:* Forgive and let go

*Forgiveness has no limit, forgive always and you will have unlimited peace of soul*

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

*© Rev. Fr. Augustine Eleke*