24th Sunday of Ordinary Time

 

Opening Prayer

Father

You created us out of love

so we could love others.

How do we love someone

Who hurts us?

Who lies to us?

Who sins against us?

Teach us to forgive

and allow you to heal us!

 

Journal/Reflection Questions

Sirach 27:30-28:7

• Do you hold onto anger or does it hold onto you?
• What makes it hard to forgive?

 Romans 14:7-9

• How do you live your life for God?
• How do you live your life for others?

 Matthew 18:21-35

• Jesus shares the parable to show how he forgives, can you relate to the man in the parable who has been forgiven? How do you relate to the man in the parable who has not?
• In this passage, Jesus says there is no limit to how many times you must forgive another person. Does he say how much time?  What do you think Jesus would say to the question of how much time it should take you to forgive someone?

 

General Questions for Journaling

• Who are the people/things that make you angry?
• How often do you feel angry? How do you express it?
• What is something that makes you really angry?
• Do you believe forgiveness is a give and take?
• How were you taught to forgive? Share your earliest memory.
• What makes asking for forgiveness hard or easy?
• What makes forgiving someone hard or easy?
• Describe a time when you witnessed great forgiveness.
• Is there a sin or hurt which is more difficult to forgive?
• What is the first thing you think of in the morning? How does this reflect what and who we live for?
• How have you lived for God today? Be specific.
• Identify some of the sins of the world. Is there anything you can do to help heal the hurt?  Do you contribute to some of the sins of the world?
• When Jesus forgives, he forgives without condition. Do you think this is possible?  Why or why not?  Share an example.
• What gift of the Holy Spirit do you need to help you be able to forgive yourself and forgive others better?

 

Closing Prayer

Leader:  When we are called to forgive…

 ALL:  teach us your ways, Lord!

Leader:  When we are hard on another…

ALL:  soften our hearts, Lord!

Leader:  When our words are ice cold…

 ALL:  melt away judgment, Lord!

Leader:  When we only see hurt…

ALL:  open our minds, Lord!

Leader:  When cannot see a solution…

ALL:  give us understanding, Lord!

Leader:  When we forgive as you do…

ALL:   you make us whole, Lord!

 

Challenge for the Week:  If you were to die today, who would you want see or talk to before you died?  What would you want to say?  Are there people who you would want to avoid?  Why?  Spend time this week thinking of the unspoken things which need to be spoken and make a plan to have those conversations.  Do the ones you love, know how much you really love them?  Are there people you have hurt, who are in need of some kind words from you?  Do you hold a grudge from a past hurt that is keeping you from having a more meaningful relationship with someone?  Live today like there is no tomorrow and seek God’s assistance!