Seven times

“Take heed to yourselves; if your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him; and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, and says, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.” (LK 17: 3-4) 

How weak we are, how often we fail, how many times we can harm our brothers and sisters, our relatives, even our spouses; not because we are so bad, or evil but because this is part of our broken nature. When we repent, when we ask for forgiveness, when we never give up and always want to be better—there is a hope for us. 

“Shine like lights in the world, as you hold on to the word of life.” (Gospel Acclamation)