"Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.... If you forgive men their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.” (Matthew 6: 12...14 - 15).
Tuesday 23rd February 2021, in the 1st Week in Lent is the feast of an Apostolic Father, St Polycarp. (circa 69 - 155). Bishop of Smyrna in Turkey. Martyr. St Polycarp was instructed in the faith by St John the Apostle. He, Polycarp instructed St Irenaeus who became a Bishop and an early Church Father in France.
I hope my critics will not roast me alive as St Polycarp was roasted alive and finished off by swords when I make the statement below on our key Scripture for today:
MORE PEOPLE GO TO HELL BECAUSE OF UNFORGIVENESS THAN FOR ABORTION, ADULTERY, FORNICATION, LIES AND DEFAMATION, TAX EVASION, ETC.
Please leave a gentle comment. (Cf CCC 523). This is Lent.
How do you deal with UNFORGIVENESS? This is what has worked for me:
#1. I try to forgive immediately. I try to forgive everyone: No discrimination as to sex, age, status, race or religion. No discrimination as to nature of offense.
#2. I pray for the offender: Father, forgive her for she knows not what she has done to me.
#3. Father, grant the grace to all the multitude that I have offended to forgive me.
#4. I perform this ritual every single morning during morning prayer. I finish by claiming the sweet peace of Christ.
"When I called, the God of justice gave me answer;
from anguish you released me;
have mercy, O Lord, and hear my prayer!" (Psalm 4: 2).
Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com
Thank you for your daily reflections. You invited a comment, so here it is...
ReplyDeleteYou are probably right to say that "more people go to hell because of unforgiveness"! It is so much easier for us to judge others rather than to deal with the 'plank' in our our own eyes. Lent provides us with another opportunity to look deep within our own lives and truly forgive those whom we have not yet forgiven before we go before our Lord and ask for His forgiveness. We can be thankful that God does not give us so much of what we deserve, but rather, is loving and merciful and welcomes back the truly repentant sinner. God desires only what is good for us. God is the judge, not ourselves who are all sinners. So this Lent, I personally am making a real effort to forgive, so that I too may be forgiven.
Where did u find that unforgiveness is the number 1 reason to go to hell over all the sins?
ReplyDeleteForgiveness is the key. It frees one’s mind and allows God into our hearts. The Holy Spirit is then allowed to work within us. It allows us to truly love as God loves us
ReplyDeleteI can understand why you say that. It’s that bitter toxicity of not being able to forgive which can consume you. God teaches us to forgive. He forgives us for our sins and so we should be able to forgive.
ReplyDeleteI understand why you say this. It’s that toxicity which can consume you if you’re not able to forgive. As God teaches us to forgive and forgives us for our sins so should we be be able to forgive. I ask for the gift of forgiveness whenever I pray.
ReplyDelete