September 1 - 30, 2022

   Month of Forgiveness: When we have a disagreement with someone, when we are hurt by someone, forgiveness is a difficult thing to give. Yet Jesus taught that we should forgive 7 x 70 times. This means that no matter how many times someone hurts us, God calls us to forgive.
   How many times a day do we do or say something that hurts God? Do we speak ill of another person? Do we gossip about another person’s situation? Do we say hurtful words to those we love when we have a disagreement or we face a challenge in our relationship?
   We are called to forgive each other, and we are also called to ask for forgiveness for ourselves. We often think to ask God to help us to forgive another person, but what about us being able to forgive ourselves for our weaknesses, for not being perfect?
   We cannot attain perfection in this life, but we can strive for holiness. This is not something that we attain overnight. It is a lifelong journey of refocusing ourselves every day, multiple times a day, not on what we have done, or on what others have done, but what God calls us to do. Jesus calls us to love, to have mercy, and to forgive.
   This month, we offer you this challenge: Pray for the courage to forgive others when we have been hurt by them. Pray for the grace to acknowledge our sins, ask God for forgiveness of our sins, and ask for the grace each day to be better than we were the day before.