Forgiveness
Dear Children of God! How are you? How is life at home, school and your neighborhood in your spiritual life? Hope you are being good children of God and your parents! We also wish you are strong and fasting as much as you can in this fasting season of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ “The Great Lent.”
We have now reached to the seventh week of this fasting season which is known as “Nicodemus.” After that, are Hosanna and the Passion Week, the suffering and crucifixion of our Lord before His resurrection/Tinsaye/.
Little ones, we shall commemorate this season by much prayer, fasting, prostrating (bowing) and alms giving according to our ability. We attend the Holy Church’s order and liturgy especially at “The Passion Week,” and participate on the prayer and prostrating. Ok, good! Now we will proceed to our lesson which is about forgiveness.
The King James new version Biblical Dictionary defines “forgiveness” as “the act of pardoning or excusing an offense or crime (bad deed), and the remission (reduction) of guilt or penalty (punishment.).” Children, our Lord told us to forgive any person, be it family, friends, or even strangers, if he/she makes as sad or angry and hurt us. He told Saint Peter the apostle, to forgive our brothers and sister much times. The bible states it as, “Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.” (Matthew 18:21-22)
Then our Lord told Apostle Saint Peter one story. “Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.” “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.“ So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.” (Matthew 18:23-35)
You see children, we have to be forgiving person so that we will also be forgiven by our heavenly Father God. If we have good and kind heart to forgive anyone who hurt and harm us, He will forgive our bad deed (doings) by our asking of forgiveness. We shall forgive those who do bad. It is not good to hurt those who have done bad things to us or to the people we love. We do not have to assume (think) we need to punish them because it is God who judges humans. He will punish all those bad people and sinners on earth as well as in hell.
Beloved children! This is a manner we should always remember to keep in our spiritual life. You must be forgiving when you are little/child as well as in your youth hood and elderliness. Our Lord thought us to forgive people up to seventy times seven, which are lots of time.
If our friends steal our pencil, exercise book or other school materials or lese our toys, we should ask them to return it politely and get it back but not hate them for doing it. We have to also forgive them for taking it in the first place without our permission or will. Ok, dear children! Good!
Farewell little ones! We have finished for now and leave you with a warm greeting and good wish.
May God be with you; Amen!