Does anyone have anything against you, even if you don't have anything against them? Immediately, go and be reconciled with this person. "Lose no time" (Mt 5:25). Because you are a follower of Christ, you are a minister of reconciliation. You put out your hand first. You apologize first. You visit or call to break the silence of the "cold war." You may have already done this and been rejected, but in imitation of Jesus, you try to reach out again and again (see Mt 18:21-22).
Jesus prays we would be one as He and the Father are one (Jn 17:21). This means we must constantly be forgiving one another and accepting the grace to be "of one heart and one mind" (Acts 4:32). We may even put up with injustice, and allow ourselves to be cheated (1 Cor 6:6-7). We will deny ourselves so that our actions are not an occasion of sin to others (1 Cor 8:9-13). We will accept one another as Christ accepted us, "for the glory of God" (Rm 15:7).
"May God, the Source of all patience and encouragement, enable you to live in perfect harmony with one another according to the Spirit of Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and voice you may glorify God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rm 15:5-6).
| PRAYER: | Father, may we "make every effort to preserve the unity which has the Spirit as its origin and peace as its binding force" (Eph 4:3). |
| PROMISE: | "If the wicked man turns away from all the sins he committed, if he keeps all my statutes and does what is right and just, he shall surely live, he shall not die." –Ez 18:21 |
| PRAISE: | St. Polycarp was a bishop in the early church and was martyred for his faith. He died in 156 AD. |
Reprinted with permission from Presentation Ministries, a lay association of the Catholic Church that focuses on evangelization and discipleship through Bible teaching, daily Mass, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and Small Christian Community. Their ministries include:
· One Bread, One Body
· Daily Bread Radio Program
· Annual Bible Institute
· Discipleship Retreats
· Guadalupe Bible College