November 11, 2019
Monday for di 32nd Week for Ordinary Time
Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop – Memorial
Listen for English
“Make una dey careful! If your brother sin, correct am; and if e repent, forgive am. And if e wrong you seven times for one day and come back meet you seven times dey talk say, ‘I sorry,’ make you forgive am.” Luke 17:3-4
To forgive completely fit hard well-well sometimes. E dey especially hard when na di same person sin against you “seven times for one day” as Jesus talk.
But we suppose take Jesus words put for heart. No be say E dey talk about something wey no fit happen; instead, E dey talk about wetin really fit happen. We must forgive, again and again and again. We no fit dey hesitate to forgive, especially people wey truly repent.
One of di first things wey we suppose notice for this passage na say, when person sin against us, we suppose correct am. Di correction no suppose focus on revenge; instead, we must do am to invite di person to repent. Na only this reason suppose make us correct another person. If we feel say person wey sin against us fit dey ready to change, then we must correct am with love. And when e accept di correction and ask us to forgive am, we must forgive am.
But, as we don talk, this one fit especially hard when di person dey commit di sin again and again. E fit tire us and make us lose heart. And when person dey commit one sin again and again, e easy to begin doubt whether di person wey dey ask for forgiveness truly sorry.
But none of those things suppose be wetin go concern us. Di only thing wey suppose concern us na to hear those words, “I sorry.” Na wetin Jesus command. When person talk these words, we must forgive am, and we must do am at once.
This Scripture also show us how important e be to tell people wey we hurt say we sorry. E dangerous to just assume say another person go forgive us. Great power dey for when we actually tell another person, “Abeg, forgive me, I sorry for my sin.” Even though e fit hard to talk these words, na words wey dey bring great healing.
Today, think deeply about wetin e mean to ask for forgiveness and to forgive another person. Every day, all of us dey get plenty chances to forgive and to ask for forgiveness. No hesitate to do am, and you go dey thankful say you do am.
Lord, I truly sorry for di plenty sins wey I don commit against You. Abeg, forgive me. When I dey stubborn, abeg, correct me with love. When I need to ask another person to forgive me, abeg, give me di courage to do am. Jesus, na You I trust.
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Saint for Today – Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop
