14 Aug
Thu
19th Week in Ordinary Time
St Maximilian Kolbe, Priest & martyr
Ez. 12:1-12
Ps. 78:56-57,58-59,61-62
Mt. 18:21-19:1
(Ps Wk III)
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To forgive seventy times seven times? It can be so difficult to forgive even once! Recently I read the story of a woman whose young, beautiful and intelligent daughter had been murdered. Many years after the incident she was still very disturbed. Her heart was never at peace, for she could not forgive her daughter's murderer. One day when praying for guidance, she had a vision. She saw some writing in the sky: "Jack (the murderer) asks for your forgiveness." Suddenly she received power from God and was able to forgive. From that moment on, she was at peace, relieved of the pain of being unforgiving.

Forgiveness brings peace. The unforgiving servant did not realize how great was the gift of forgiveness, and did not enjoy the peace that would have allowed him to forgive his fellow-servant. If all of us were to accept God's forgiveness of our sins and, in turn, forgive the sins of others, the world would begin to be at peace.



Dear God, we pray for the grace to be peacemakers, to bring forth peace in our own hearts and to share it in our families and among the people we meet each day.

DAILY OFFERING
Eternal Father, I offer You everything I do this day; my thoughts, words, joys and sufferings. Grant that, vivified by the Holy Spirit and united to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, my life this day may be of service to You and to others. I also pray that all those preparing for marriage discover in Sacrament the source of Christ's grace for living a fithful and fruitful love. Amen.

PRAYING WITH THE CHURCH
INTENTION
That the human family may know how to respect God's design for the world and thus become ever more aware of the great gift of God which creation represents for us.
Elaboration

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