Friday - constant forgiveness, constant responsibility

Prayer:   Lord Jesus Christ,  let Your healing love enfold us this day so that we can be instruments of Your love.   Lord Jesus Christ,  let Your healing love spring up within us so that with great delight we can do Your will.  Amen

Read  St Luke 17: 1 – 4

Jesus then instructs the disciples that hard trials and temptations will come their way.    It is a part of life.      Be alert to these trials and temptations.  

Jesus continues to say that if the disciples see a friend not following the path to God,  to correct the friend.  If the friend repents,  then forgive the friend.  Even if the friend continues to behave badly,  the disciples must constantly forgive their friend.  

Constant forgiveness.    Constant responsibility.      Two extremely difficult things to do in our life  yet Jesus is instructing the disciples (and us) that forgiveness and responsibility are central to our faith.    Reflect-- how does our Church constantly forgive and is constantly responsible.

Let us journey together with an Ignatian Examen time of Reflection and Prayer:

1.  Give God thanks for all you have received.   Give God thanks for the big things you have received as well as all the small things you have received.    Remember the “things” are not monetary.  Faith,  life,  family…..    What have you received in your life that you are thankful?  

2.  Ask for the grace to know your sins and to root them out.

Spend time on this statement.  Ask God to help you root out the things in your life that are sinful…. or caused hurt to yourself…. or caused hurt to others….   

Ask God to help you remember and then ask for forgiveness of things you have said or not said… for things you have done or not done.

Be greatful for the life God has given to you.

3.  Reflect over the day.  What actions,  thoughts, words, feelings have you had?   Have your actions, thoughts, words, and feelings led you to God?  Have you remembered to constantly forgive yourself and others?  Have you remembered to be constantly responsible for your own actions? 

4.  Ask God to forgive your sins and faults

It is in asking forgiveness of God that we become whole people of God.

5.  With God’s help,  what one thing will you resolve to change in your life tomorrow so that your life is a reflection of God?

Close with the Lord’s Prayer.