August 7, 2024 Daily Dose of Discernment

“Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)

The priest repeats this statement of John the Baptist as he elevates the bread and wine at the Eucharist. Prior to that, the people pray that as they partake of those elements, which have become the body and blood of Jesus, they may become the body of Christ to the world, participating in the taking away of its sin.

No wonder Jesus emphasizes the importance forgiveness to His followers. It's in His sermons, parables, the prayer He taught them, and the life He lived before them. It's the first order of the day in the new world He inaugurated upon His resurrection. But what if people are not repentant? Well, our instructions are to forgive, not judge. How many times? Seventy times seven. That may sound Christianese but it simply means unceasingly. Why? Because the mercies of our Lord never come to an end. Ours shouldn't either.