“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” Ephesians 4:32

Sydney parents Daniel and Leila Abdallah created i4give Day as a remembrance of four beautiful young children who were tragically lost in an accident on the 1 February 2020 as they waited to cross the road with their bikes in their suburban neighbourhood. The i4give Foundation and i4give Week also exist to help others who have suffered in a similar way. i4give Sunday is now a national day of forgiveness; where you are asked to search and find it in your heart to forgive someone, forgive yourself or even ask for forgiveness.

“Our four children are now our four saints and this day is for them. Forgiveness is the greatest gift you can give yourself and others. The more you practice the better you become at it and it allows you to live peacefully and to heal. Forgiveness is more for the forgiver than the forgiven” says Danny and Leila. We are encouraged to search and find someone we can forgive on this day. Set them free and feel the freedom of forgiveness.

i4give Sunday will take place on 6 February 2022 and will serve to engage all Christian churches across Australia to unite in a shared embrace of the Christ centred approach to forgiveness. We are all encouraged to engage in conversations around forgiveness and its power to heal and restore broken relationships. The message of deep forgiveness based in a forgiving God starts within and among churches and goes out from there into the community. As partners, our parishes and communities are encouraged to pray for reconciliation found in forgiveness through Jesus Christ during i4give Week in Australia. Mass celebrated in our parishes on this day will reflect the values and empathy of i4give Sunday.

Throughout December staff at the Catholic Education Diocese of Bathurst planned and developed our own i4give program. Bathurst diocesan schools will be participating in I4give Week through various activities and liturgies around the theme of forgiveness.