Friday, January 20, 2017

Forgive and Forget


The WORD today (See http://usccb.org/bible/readings/012017.cfm) reminds me that God will forgive us and forget all the sins we have committed. 

It is not easy to forgive others, especially those who hurt us so much. To add to that, people who we are close with yet still hurt us makes it very difficult to forgive them. Sometimes, In time, we may be able to forgive, but forgetting is another thing. We may forgive, but we would be very guarded already and would not give them an opportunity to be close to us and hurt us again. For humans it is very difficult, but not for God. 

God not only forgives us, he forgets and gives us opportunities to start anew. 

In the first reading, he says that he will forgive their evildoing and remember their sins no more. Total forgiveness. A new opportunity to start anew. To do things right. To live right. Our past sins cannot prevent us from getting what God has in store for us. Our past sins are not enough to stop God's great plans for us. No matter how sinful we were, God can and will forgive us, and will still give us great things if we repent and humble ourselves before him. 

This should lead us to forgive others as well. God has been good to us. He gave us everything. Yet we sin and hurt him. But is quick to forgive us when we ask him to. In the same way, we sinners should be forgiving to those who asks for it. We should remember the great love we receive from God and it should lead us to forgive others as well. 

May we remember how loving and forgiving God is, and may this lead us to humble ourselves, repent, and come to him. And as we experience his forgiving love, may it lead us to forgive others as well. 


Father God,
Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another chance to love and serve you. Thank you for the reminder. Lord, sorry for not always coming to you for forgiveness. Sorry for not having the heart to forgive others. Lord, I ask you to love me. May you never tire of loving and forgiving me. As I experience it, may it change me to be more like you. Amen. 

Blessed day!

In Christ,
-g-


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January 20, 2017
Friday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 315



Reading 1 Heb 8:6-13


Brothers and sisters:
Now our high priest has obtained so much more excellent a ministry
as he is mediator of a better covenant,
enacted on better promises.

For if that first covenant had been faultless,
no place would have been sought for a second one.
But he finds fault with them and says:
Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord,
when I will conclude a new covenant with the house of
Israel and the house of Judah.
It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers
the day I took them by the hand to lead
them forth from the land of Egypt;
for they did not stand by my covenant
and I ignored them, says the Lord.
But this is the covenant I will establish with the house of Israel
after those days, says the Lord:
I will put my laws in their minds
and I will write them upon their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
And they shall not teach, each one his fellow citizen and kin, saying,
"Know the Lord,"
for all shall know me, from least to greatest.
For I will forgive their evildoing
and remember their sins no more.


When he speaks of a "new" covenant,
he declares the first one obsolete.
And what has become obsolete
and has grown old is close to disappearing.



Responsorial Psalm Ps 85:8 and 10, 11-12, 13-14


R. (11a) Kindness and truth shall meet.
Show us, O LORD, your mercy,
and grant us your salvation.
Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,
glory dwelling in our land.
R. Kindness and truth shall meet.
Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
and justice shall look down from heaven.
R. Kindness and truth shall meet.
The LORD himself will give his benefits;
our land shall yield its increase.
Justice shall walk before him,
and salvation, along the way of his steps.
R. Kindness and truth shall meet.



Alleluia


R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.



Gospel Mk 3:13-19


Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted
and they came to him.
He appointed Twelve, whom he also named Apostles,
that they might be with him
and he might send them forth to preach
and to have authority to drive out demons:
He appointed the Twelve:
Simon, whom he named Peter;
James, son of Zebedee,
and John the brother of James, whom he named Boanerges,
that is, sons of thunder;
Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew,
Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus;
Thaddeus, Simon the Cananean,
and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.

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