THE GOSPEL
Matthew 18:21-35Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive?
To get forgiveness can be easy for us.
We can feel great peace and joy,
like walking out of jail.
Forgiving others is
not so easy.
Jesus, please
break the bonds that
hold our refusal to forgive.
Give us your strength
to take off our
shackles.
Teach us to forgive
in the way that you forgive us:
take our sins and consequences, forgive
and then forget. No strings attached.
THE FIRST READING
Sirach 27:30-28:7Forgive your neighbor's injustice; then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven.
Do not
let us tightly
embrace wrath and anger.
Please, Lord, help us let it go
so we can forgive those who trespass
against us.
And please
forgive us our trespasses
THE SECOND READING
Romans 14:7-9None of us lives for oneself.
Are
we our own
maker and master?
God forbid such a fate.
God, creator of the universe,
truly, you made us in love,
without limits or reserve.
Let us spend our lives
loving you, and our
neighbor in
Christ.
from Religious Clip Art for the Liturgical Year (A, B, and C). This art may be reproduced only by parishes who purchase the collection in book or CD-ROM form. For more information go http://www.ltp.org