Clean Slate
Settlement Authority
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:
Every now and then we put our foot in our mouth and say something foolish, which we later regret.
Then later it dawns on us we might have offended the other person with our thoughtlessness. So, when the shoe's on the other foot, we must remind ourselves that people don't deliberately set out to hurt us and that their tactless comments are almost certainly as unintentional as our own.
Sometimes though, when we're stressed or angry and won't see another's point of view, we may knowingly say something cutting. We walk away and leave them licking a wound we inflicted. This must be straightened out immediately, Jesus teaches in today's Gospel, "Settle with your opponent quickly" (Matthew 5:25).
It takes real humility to say we're sorry. But if we expect to be forgiven, we must forgive. And if we expect Jesus to hear our prayers, we must do what He taught His disciples, and approach Him with righteousness. We must always take the initiative in making peace. "If you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift" (Matthew 5:23-24).
'Keep your heart in peace and let nothing trouble you, not even your faults. You must humble yourself and amend them peacefully, without being discouraged or cast down, for God's dwelling is in peace.' - St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
Blessed Lent!
Elizabeth
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About the Author
Elizabeth Tichvon is a Catholic writer and Consecrated Marian Catechist under the Direction of His Eminence Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke. Always faithful to the Magisterium, she spreads and defends the Catholic faith as a true witness of Christ, confessing the name of Jesus boldly, never ashamed of the Cross.
Elizabeth became aware of the need for the New Evangelization while in the two years of her formation as a Marian Catechist and wrote over 200 published meditations on Sacred Scripture from the daily Liturgy of the Word for various Catholic websites, and following Jesus' example, now teaches through her own parables so that by sharing her stories through social media, might bring others closer to the heart of Christ. She is currently a regular columnist at Catholic365 and as a Marian Catechist, her spiritual life is the foundation of her writing.
She completed UCLA's Graduate Program With Honors and worked as a Paralegal for 32 years before retiring from Chrysler's Office of the General Counsel in Auburn Hills, Michigan.
