NOTE: Christ in Our Neighborhood is a parish-based program consisting of small groups that gather in the home weekly to discuss and pray through the upcoming Sunday Mass readings. Find out more at Christ in Our Neighborhood – The Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix (dphx.org)
This coming Sunday, we celebrate the Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time. The question the Christ in Our Neighborhood Reflection asks us is: Are there still people on your list that you have not forgiven? What keeps you, who claim to be Christian, from asking the Lord to bless them as well?
Our Gospel for the Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time this year is challenging. Jesus is telling us in the Gospel of Luke that we need to love our enemies and forgive those who persecute us.
It’s a tall order. Without God’s grace and a firm determination to fulfill this command of our Lord, it’s probably insurmountable. But Jesus tells us also tells us in Matthew 19:26 that “for human beings, this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”
Forgiving someone doesn’t mean you think that what they did was fair, right or just. It does mean that you are finished with wanting retribution or an apology. You let it go. This is a process and one that ultimately leads to our own freedom and healing.
By praying intentionally for the ones who have offended us, in time and with God’s grace, we will one day be able to forgive and let go.
If you haven’t joined a Christ in Our Neighborhood small group yet, perhaps you are being called to start one yourself. Check out our website today to find out more: dphx.org/Christ-in-our-neighborhood.
Watch the video of the weekly podcast segment featuring Christ in Our Neighborhood with Bishop Dolan by clicking HERE.
To sign up for our weekly Christ in Our Neighborhood newsletter that has everything you need for your next meeting, visit: https://phoenixdiocese.flocknote.com/CION
