IF YOU WANT TO BE HEALTHY, FORGIVE

 *Sunday, September 17, 2023* 


 *24TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME* 



First Reading. Sirach 27: 30-28: 7

Psalm 103: 1-4, 9-12 (R.8)

Second Reading. Romans14: 7-9

Gospel. Matthew 18: 21-35


TOPIC FOR REFLECTION


 *ANGER AND UNFORGIVENESS ARE BEST COUPLES: THEY DESTROY SOULS* 


Since you have been getting angry what have you gained?

Since you have been keeping malice, what have you gained?


I want you to recall, those times you went to bed in anger, can you recall how you had sleepless nights ruminating over what happened, and planning how to revenge? I guess you may find below some of the effects of your anger...

1. Anxiety

2. High Blood Pressure

3. Heart Burn

4. Mental Stress

5. Fatigue

6. Discomfort and disorderliness

7. Sleepless night

8. Fear of the unknown

9. Restlessness

10. Troubled mind

11.  Headache and Migraine

12. Loss of friendship

13. Attraction of enemy

14. Filled with revengeful spirit.

15. Partial/full stroke = death.


The fact is that, when you overthink negatively, you stress your brain, you have a headache or migraine, you sleep late, wake up weak and sluggish, and your body systems start to malfunction; then you have HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE. So, what did you gain?


Ephesians 4:31 says: 

Get rid of all bitterness, passion, and anger. No more shouting or insults, no more hateful feelings of any sort.


The first reading states that sinful people possess anger and wrath, which are abominations.

He said further, that those who take vengeance will suffer vengeance from the Lord

Forgive your neighbour for the wrong he has done, and then your sins will be pardoned when you pray. 

It says anyone who harbours anger and shows no mercy to others will not receive mercy, healing or answered prayer from the Lord.


The problem with many of us is that... 

*** We want people to forgive us, but we find it difficult to forgive. Why?

***We do not want people to be angry with us, yet we love to provoke them. Why?

*** We love to offend, tempt, castigate, gossip, slander, and abuse other people's rights, yet we do not want all of those to be done to us. Why?


Hmm, what an irony of life! Remember that what you give is what you will receive, but let me advise you. 


1. If you want to live long in good health of mind and body: please, Forgive.

2. If you want to look young and fresh always: please, Forgive

3. If you want God to forgive you: please, Forgive.

4. If you want your prayer to be answered: please, Forgive.


Please, do not be like that servant in the Gospel whom his master forgave, but refused to forgive his fellow servant, you saw how he was severely punished.


Jesus advises us to forgive uncountable times, not just because of the person who offended us, but for the sake of our health as you saw above, and that of our salvation.


Jesus said in the Gospel of Matthew 6:14-15

14. If you forgive others the wrongs they have done to you, your Father in heaven will also forgive you.

15. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive the wrongs you have done.


Therefore, the ball is in your court, and it is in my court too.


The Lord is compassionate to us, are we going to be compassionate to others?


 *Peace ✌️ be with you* 


 *Rev. Fr. Segun Oladeji, CRS.*

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

DO YOU KNOW WHY AND HOW JESUS OVERCAME HIS TEMPTATION?

Image
 Sunday, February 26, 2023. FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT (A) First Reading. Genesis 2: 7-9; 3: 1-7 Psalm. 51: 3-6, 12-14, and 17 (R. cf. 3a) Second Reading. Romans 5: 12- 19 Gospel. Matthew 4: 1-11 TOPIC FOR REFLECTION  YOUR DESIRE IS YOUR TEMPTATION.  Do you know why JESUS did not fall into temptation? It is because...  1. He is divine and not of the flesh; remember, only flesh is tempted and not the Spirit.  2. He came from Heaven, and not from the earth.  3. He is in the world, but not of the world.  4. All that exists on earth was created THROUGH HIM, AND WITH HIM, AND IN HIM. So, how can what he creates tempt Him the creator? 5. He came to save and to teach us how to be saved, by extension, how to overcome temptation.  I will like to quickly remind us that all temptations in life fall under 3 categories. They are...  1. PLEASURE  2. POWER  3. POSSESSION.  Jesus was tempted by these 3 categories.  They are as follows:  1. The temptation of pleasure: Turn these stones into bread. Jesus did
Read more

IF JESUS WAS BAD, CAN YOU FOLLOW HIM?

Image
 *Sunday, October 22, 2023*  29TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR A  *MISSION SUNDAY*  First Reading. Isaiah 45: 1, 4-6 PSALM 96: 1, 3-5, 7-10 (R. 7b) Second Reading 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5 Gospel. Matthew 22: 15-21 TOPIC FOR REFLECTION  *IF JESUS WAS NOT RESPONSIBLE, WILL YOU FOLLOW HIM?*  Today is mission Sunday, and for anyone to live a fulfilled missionary life, such ought to be a responsible person. No one can survive on a mission land if he lacks good character. I hope you know that Jesus' good character attracted us to follow Him in His mission. So will anyone with good character on a mission influence or attract people to God? Good character attracts, while bad character repels. Jesus is a good man because his ways of life are good. Christianity is a good religion because it is Jesus' way of life. Therefore, Christianity is a way of life. So, since Christianity is a way of life, it teaches how to live a good responsible life filled with a high sense of responsibility.  A Chr
Read more

DO NOT BE A HYPOCRITICAL PERSON

Image
 *Friday, October 20, 2023*  Weekday (28) Ordinary Time A First Reading. Romans 4: 1-8 Psalm 32: 1-2, 5, 11 (R. see 7). Gospel. Luke 12: 1-7 TOPIC FOR REFLECTION  *TRUST GOD, BUT AVOID HYPOCRISY*  Jesus said, "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees – that is, their hypocrisy".  It simply means if you know anybody with the under-listed attributes, please in your interest and for the sake of your future, avoid them. If you can't avoid them, learn to manage them. Do not keep such persons as friends, unless you want to ruin your future. So, avoid: 1. The people who are not real, fake by nature. 2. Those who teach the wrong doctrine 3. Those who blackmail and slander people. Note: Be aware that those who gossip to you about others have already massacred you to other people before coming to you. Avoid them. 4. Those who are pretenders  5. Those who are full of eye 👀  service 6. Those who live and dine with envy and jealousy. etc. Jesus went further to say, that ev
Read more