The word of the month for February is forgiveness. Most of us will experience a time when we need to both give and receive forgiveness. It is hard to do and only possible with God‘s help.
Sunday, February 5th marks the beginning of a special season in the Orthodox Church called the Triodion. It consists of the three Sundays that precede the Great Lenten Season. During this time, we prepare our hearts to move toward Christ and seek forgiveness as we approach Easter/Pascha.
The Bible reading during the second week of the Triodion is the parable of the prodigal son from the gospel of Luke 15:11-32. The story gives us hope that if we sin and go away from God and are truly sorry, He is there to forgive us. The important part is acknowledging our mistakes, feeling remorse, and choosing to make it right.
One of the songs we sing in chapel comes from Ephesians 4:32. It says, be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as Christ forgave you.
Let us examine ourselves and our relationships, then ask for and grant forgiveness. Christ tells us that if we want to be with him in the heavenly Kingdom we must forgive others.