Hello Families,
Our new school year is approaching! Class starts on Wednesday, September 23rd, register Here.
Children learn to trust God’s mercy and forgiveness when they experience forgiveness from those closest to them. We hope that we model God’s love and forgiveness within our family life. Today’s Gospel reminds us that forgiveness is measured by its quality more than its quantity. Invite your family to consider some recent times when family members sought the forgiveness of another. Ask if there were any statements made that put conditions on our forgiveness such as “I will play this game with you if you apologize for knocking over my blocks” or “I will accept your apology after you clean up your room. ” Do we sometimes “keep count” or put conditions on our forgiveness of one another? This is something we may be doing without realizing it.
Read together today’s Gospel, Matthew 18:21-35. Ask if we sometimes find ourselves sounding like Peter, concerning ourselves with quantity of forgiveness rather than offering forgiveness abundantly and unconditionally. Reflect upon the parable that Jesus tells. What does the servant do that makes the king so angry? He refuses to forgive his fellow servant the debt that he owes. Because we have all received God’s forgiveness, God expects that we will also be forgiving toward others. Jesus’ answer to Peter’s question is found at the end of the parable. The number of times that we forgive one another is less important than the depth of our forgiveness. We must forgive one another from the heart.
Conclude in prayer together that God’s love and forgiveness is evident in your family life.
Pray together today’s psalm, Psalm 103, or the Lord’s Prayer.
Partners in Faith,
Phyllis Chudzinski
52sundays.com, loyolapress.com