12/26/2023 0 Comments Daily bible reflections![]() Because I know you love me, Lord, I trust you to show me. Father, in this time of prayer, help me notice when I judge and condemn others while excusing my own faults. Help me see myself and others through your eyes of love. You love me and desire trust in your forgiveness and mercy. Opening Prayer: Father, I am weak and fall often, but you never leave me. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove that splinter from your eye,’ while the wooden beam is in your eye? You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.” For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you. Jesus said to his disciples: “Stop judging, that you may not be judged. Monday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time.The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Help me to seek anything that keeps me from fully loving You and all my neighbors. Who is your opponent? Who is the one you have a grievance with today? Pray that God will show you the way to being freed of that burden so that you can enjoy true freedom! Reflect upon what it is that you have to “settle with your opponent” today. If we do not, we will still have to deal with those sins after death, but it’s much better to do so now. Jesus is telling us to change our lives now, to forgive and repent now. ![]() Paying back the last penny can also be seen as an image of Purgatory. And this is an act of love and mercy on God’s part because His judgment is focused especially upon our sin which is the only thing standing in the way of our love of God and others. The penalty is that God will exercise His justice upon us until we finally repent. Obstinacy in our refusal to change our ways is also of great concern. Obstinacy in refusing to admit our fault in a grievance is of the greatest concern. Obstinacy is a serious sin and one that cannot be forgiven unless the obstinacy is let go of. But what God does not accept is obstinacy. With that, every “penny” is already paid. God’s justice is completely satisfied when we humble ourselves, apologize for our faults, and sincerely seek to make amends. That’s why He says to “Settle with your opponent quickly on the way to court with him.” In other words, apologize and be reconciled before you find yourself before the judgment seat of divine justice. Specifically, He wants all anger, bitterness and resentment removed from our souls. The key here is that Jesus wants us reconciled to Him and to one another. “You will not be released until you have paid the last penny.” But in fact, it’s an act of great love. That’s a scary thought! At first, this story could be seen to portray a complete lack of mercy. ![]() ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |