Bearing Witness To God's Abiding Presence

 Reflection on Today's Readings, Thursday of 19th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1, August 12th, 2021
Texts: Jos. 3 :7-10a.11.13-17; Ps. 114:1-6; Mtt. 18:21-19:1
Today, God attests to the leadership of Joshua by dividing River Jordan for the Hebrews to cross over to the land of Canaan. This is an act similar to the one performed by Moses when he divided the red sea for the people to pass. It assured the people that God was with Joshua as He was with Moses, for as God divided the Red Sea through Moses, so also He divided River Jordan through Joshua. This is the case in which the great works done by a person bears witness to his divine choice. The dividing of River Jordan confirms God's choice of Joshua.
Great deeds bear witness to divine choice and the power of God but not the life of God. The history of the journey of the Hebrews was full of mighty deeds of God, bearing witness to His choice of them and His power. In spite of all this, their life was no better. The best witnessing is the witness of life. By our lives we bear witness to God.
Today's gospel reading invites us to bear witness to God by our lives. As God always forgive us, so also we are to forgive one another. It is said, in the gospelreading,  "You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me; and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?" It is by our ways of life that we are to prove that God is with us and it is a veritable means of proclaiming the gospel and bringing people to God. People come to believe in God by our ways of life. If we win souls by our ways of life, such souls will  hardly go astray. If we come to God by a life well lived, we will be inspired to embrace moral rectitude.
The gospel reading also speaks of forgiveness of sins. God wants our forgiveness to know no bound. It is said, "Peter came up and said to Jesus, 'Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?' Jesus said to him, 'I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.'" This means to forgive countless number of time. This is because God also forgives us countless number of time. No matter the number of time we forgive, it cannot measure up to the number of time that God has forgiven us. Let us always forgive one another.

Lord our God, grant that we may live our lives everyday bearing witness to Your life. Amen.

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke