Are there any remaining pieces of resentment or bitterness in your heart that you have yet to let go of? - Daily Bible Reflections March 10,2015

A MILLION TIMES   Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. – Matthew 18:22          As a child, I grew up a little too sassy, a little too clever, and by the time I hit my teens, I was a compulsive liar. Strangely enough, I didn’t even feel that I was doing anything wrong. It just seemed easier to say what I knew would get me my way faster and let people hear what they wanted so I’d avoid trouble.        This put a terrible strain on my relationship with my parents, who eventually couldn’t trust me to tell the truth. And yes, there were tears, plenty of arguments and weeks of silent treatment, but my parents would always call a truce after every rift, patiently waiting for me to outgrow my rebellious stage.        Thank God I did. Maturity soon set in, and when I became a mother, I saw things much clearer from their perspective. One day, I asked my dad, “Why didn’t you ever give up on me?”        His answer was straightforward. “How can we give up on you? We made you. Your failures are mine. Forgiveness is a non-negotiable aspect of love and I would rather forgive you a million times, in the hopes that you learn from your mistakes one day, rather than lose my child forever.” That, too, is how God forgives us — a million times! Eleanore Teo (elyo.lee@gmail.com)   Reflection: Are there any remaining pieces of resentment or bitterness in your heart that you have yet to let go of?   Lord, heal me from my pride and anger and let me forgive those who have wronged me, as I, also, am no stranger to sin.   St. Dominic Savio, pray for us.