2 Chronicles 36:14-16,19-23; Psalm 137; Ephesians 2:4-10; John 3:14-21

Today’s reading from Ephesians is an important reminder of God’s grace. Sometimes we hear that the difference between Protestants and Catholics is that Protestants believe they are justified by faith whereas Catholics believe we are justified by works. Not!

All who are saved are saved by the grace of God, not because of any good thing we have done but because of the very goodness of God. We are the handiwork of God, and it is not appropriate for us to boast of our salvation or of our good works – nor is it appropriate for us to judge the works of others. Someone wrote a little poem that I have known for years, but I don’t know the author [the Internet says: "Edward W. Hoch (1849-1925)" Thank you, Internet!]: “There’s so much good in the worst of us and so much bad in the best of us that it ill behooves any one of us to talk about the rest of us.” Maybe this Lent is a good opportunity for us to relax some of our judgment of others and begin to reach out in reconciliation.

Perhaps if we understood better where that other person was coming from when he or she so offended us, we would find less call for finding fault. Or perhaps not. Perhaps our forgiveness could be just an act of will by our own forgiving hearts, totally undeserved by that other person. There are precedents!

Is there someone you need to forgive? Can you move a step closer to forgiveness?