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Showing posts with the label the initiator of love and forgiveness

Yoked to Jesus

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“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” †  Mathew 11: 28-30  What is the labour and burden that Jesus is asking me to deal with? Perhaps I have to let go of the compulsive burden (or is it a sort of entitlement?) that my spouse and children should choose a spiritual path that I know to be right. Jesus accompanied Judas Iscariot to the very end but never deprived him of his freedom to choose his own destiny. Jesus on the other hand, uninterrupted by Judas's choice to reject him, continues to accomplish his mission. He does become a victim of Judas's betrayal but he seldom takes on the victim's identity. In divine wisdom, Jesus chooses to die in our place (and that of Judas) in a redeeming act of love. Rather than being compelled to fix those whom God has entrusted to my headship by m

Man, the initiator of love and forgiveness

When there is crisis in the family, it is the husband who must take the lead to forgive and reconcile no matter who is at fault. This is because husbands share the role of Christ the initiator of love and forgiveness. Husbands are called to love their spouses just as Christ loves the Church [Eph 5:25]. The bibles says " While we were still sinners, Christ died for us"  [Rom 5:8]. Christ initiated love and offered his forgiveness unconditionally to the erring mankind, his beloved spouse. St. Paul in his epistle to the Ephesians states " He washed her clean by his own blood and presented her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless [5:27]. In our fallenness, men have falsely assumed themselves to be invincible and superior to woman. He seeks to earn respect and authority by virtue of his maleness and strength and not by his character. Let him do so by being meek, patient and understanding as Christ was even