*|MC:SUBJECT|*

View this email in your browser

A daily Lenten e-mail with lessons of hope and courage, inspired by a variety of resources to encourage us in these confusing and turbulent times from St. Luke’s Church, Lebanon.

Tuesday - Third Week in Lent

Forgiveness. It’s one of those things that, if we’re really honest with ourselves, is hard to do. When someone has hurt us, or wronged us, our first reaction might be anger, retaliation, or exclusion from our life, rather than forgiveness.

Jesus doesn’t just command us to forgive, but to forgive endlessly! Take a moment to picture the Apostle Peter talking to Jesus: “So, Lord, I think I’d be doing great if a brother sins against me and I forgive him. In fact, I’m so good that I would even forgive him seven times!” But Jesus puts him into his place: “You’re not even close, Peter. Not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” Can you imagine Peter’s face?

And yet, in this Gospel passage, the message of “endless forgiveness” wasn’t just directed to Peter, but to all of us. That’s a tough reality to accept. It’s hard for us to forgive. But God gives us an important resource. The Church provides an opportunity to seek out forgiveness in the Rite of Reconciliation of a Penitent in the Book of Common Prayer. Some call this "Confession." We have this opportunity because God has promised to forgive us merely for turning away from a way of acting or an attitude of our heart. Because of this promise, we fully expect that God will forgive our sins. Yet, when it comes to us forgiving each other, we find it so difficult to do.

During our Lenten journey, we can add an act of charity to the three traditional “pillars” of Lent – prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Perhaps this act might be the forgiveness of another person in our lives as the Lord instructs us to do.