Daily reflection _ power in forgiveness


POWER IN FORGIVENESS  
Correcting others is a hazardous duty and must be done with humility and meekness. We must also keep in mind the proper motive, which is to make present among us Christ's Kingdom of unity and love.
Deacon John Ruscheinsky
The prophet Ezekiel was God's messenger to proclaim a warning that the city of Jerusalem would be destroyed because of the appalling sins of its people. In effect, the prophet told the people that God was not to be blamed for their coming misfortune since they were bringing punishment upon themselves.  As a sign of God's good will, the innocent would be spared, marked with an X. Actually the mark upon their foreheads was to be the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet, Tau, which only resembles an X.
Ezekiel's visions were all highly symbolic. It may be that the use of the last letter of the alphabet was intended to mean that the innocent would find salvation only on the last day, that though they would die they would be saved on the Great Day of the Lord. That Day of the Lord has already arrived with Jesus and yet is also to come in the future. This Day is not a period of twenty-four hours, but the era for the unfolding of the Kingdom of God, which will reach its perfection with the Second Coming of Christ Jesus.
Meanwhile we pray, "Thy Kingdom come."  But we must also work for the realization of the Kingdom, a Kingdom of peace, harmony and love. That is why Jesus preached that His followers must seek reconciliation with each other. He calls upon us to point out a wrong that may have been committed, especially one which destroys harmony and peace. Correcting others is a hazardous duty and must be done with humility and meekness. We must also keep in mind the proper motive, which is to make present among us Christ's Kingdom of unity and love.
What's the best way to repair a damaged relationship? Jesus offers us spiritual freedom and power for restoring damaged relationships. He makes clear that we - His followers - should not tolerate a breach in relationship among ourselves. Sin must be confronted and help must be offered to restore damaged relationships. When relationships between brothers and sisters are damaged, then we must spare no effort to help; to get things right again if possible.
We are called to pray and to seek reconciliation. Jesus also urges us to pray together. Individual prayer is indispensable, but it can never substitute for that community prayer where Jesus is present to unite us in love. The highest form of community prayer is when Jesus is present to unite us in His love, at the Mass! We all bear the mark, not of a Hebrew letter, but the baptismal sign of union with Christ Jesus.