Our Great Journey
This week our theme is “Seventy Seven Times” based on Matthew 18:21-35, Mateo 18:21-35
Opening Prayer:
Lord our God, just as the rain comes down to water the earth and make it fruitful, so you send forth your word to do your will in the world. May this wisdom from heaven grow in our hearts and bear fruit in holy words and loving actions. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.
In addition to our prayers from the heart, our prayer for September is the Hail Mary. It’s a good opportunity to explain what we are praying in this prayer. The first part of the prayer is Elizabeth’s greeting to Mary when Mary visited her while they were both pregnant. The Church added the second part of the prayer. Please pray this prayer daily to learn.
Using the Bible, invite a family member to read the Gospel aloud.
Things to talk about:
- Why is it so hard to forgive?
- How does today’s Gospel remind you of the Our Father prayer?
- Why do you think the servant went after his debtor, even after he was forgiven?
- What did you learn about forgiveness in this story?
- · How do you feel after you forgive someone?
Things to do:
- Take this Gospel to heart and forgive someone or a debt that someone owes you.
- Did you know…. Kneeling is a gesture of reverence. How many times do we kneel at Mass? When does this happen? The Mass is truly our perfect prayers. At Mass, listen for the words, sorry, forgive, mercy and peace.
Closing Prayer
Lord, we thank you for forgiving us when we make bad choices knowingly. Give us the strength to extend forgiveness to those who have hurt us. Our Father, who art in heaven…
Song for this week, Holy Water
Catholic Insights
Peter is looking for a definite line beyond which there is no hope of forgiveness. But as Christians, we know that God’s forgiveness is limitless, and if we hope in God’s eternal forgiveness, we must also offer that forgiveness to others. God forgives, and so must we.
When we hold onto our grudges and resentments, we are like the servant who was forgiven but refused to forgive the very small debt owed to him.
Forgiveness is the fruit of prayer; it bears witness to the world that love is stronger than sin (CCC, 2844). Forgiveness is a particularly important in family life, promoting mutual affection and teaching children to grow in this virtue (CCC, 2227). This is where our children learn to forgive.
For our kids, a short video about Matthew 18:15-20
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