GIVE AND RECEIVE FORGIVENESS: CATHOLIC SUNDAY SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS: 24TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, CYCLE A

GIVE AND RECEIVE FORGIVENESS

It is imperative to physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health to give and receive forgiveness. Today, there is a lot of evidence showing the connection between a lot of psychosomatic illnesses and our inability to forgive.

On a personal note, one of the difficult homilies to preach on is forgiveness. Actually, it is so easy to about forgiveness like homilies on love. At the same time difficult to put into practice. This is because sometimes you as the preacher is the guilt of what you preached.

OUR THEMES

The readings of this Sunday admonish us to forgive human´s failings against us. First, so as to merit divine forgiveness ourselves from God. Secondly, since we too might have offended others as well. To forgive those who wrong or hurt is admitting our own human weakness. They remind us also that our desire for vengeance can be a stumbling block to receiving divine mercy or blessings from God. The best of vengeance is to leave all to God, who sees our hearts and intentions.

FIRST READING: SIRACH 27:30-28:7

The author reminds us of several reasons why forgiveness should be indispensable in our lives. First and foremost, human vengeance begets divine vengeance. As well, human forgiveness begets divine forgiveness. Equally, forgiveness brings about answered prayers, healing, mercy and favours from the Lord.

Psalm 102, captures the beauty, grace and richness of God´s mercy with us: The Lord is kind and merciful; slow to anger and rich in compassion…. He does not treat us according to our sins nor repay us according to our faults. This is the mercy attitude we pray for today.

SECOND READING ROMANS 14:7-9

St. Paul states one fundamental fact of the Christian life. That is, we belong to Christ, we live to the Lord dead or alive. Christ Jesus is both Lord of the dead and the living. The basic implication of this fact the totality of Christian life is in or with God. This includes the pains, hurts and damage that might have done to us. Hence, this holistic principle can help us forgive even the most grievous hurts.

For Paul, Jesus of Nazareth is not just God but also Lord. The central message of Paul here is that the goal of our existence or of our living as Christian should be Christ himself.

THE GOSPEL: MATTHEW 18:21-35

It is the continuation of last Sunday gospel. Where Christ proposed healthy steps to Christian reconciliation and fraternal corrections in personal and community living. Today, with peter´s question and self-answer on the issue of forgiveness. Jesus uses the opportunity to teach further on Christian relationships and forgiveness.

1. Basically we all are indebted to God for our wrongdoings but words, actions, thoughts or omissions.
2. No doubt God forgives us as the psalmist today remind us unreservedly of our sins.
3. There are people indebted to us too for their conscious or unconscious offence to us. As God forgives us of our numerous sins so too we ought to forgive others.

MERCY VERSUS MERCILESS

1. God´s mercy and forgiveness towards us are extravagant, exorbitant and unprecedented.
2. Our mercy and forgiveness, not seven times, but seven times seventy of four hundred and ninety times. This implies forgiveness over and over again as countless times as possible or we can imagine.
3. Yet, how unforgiving we are with each other with a merciless heart.
4. The punch point of Jesus´ parable is the last lines of the gospel. “So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you if do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

This leads us to the fundamental questions: why is forgiveness so important in Christian life and life in general? Why must I forgive others?

THE SPIRITUAL ASPECTS OF FORGIVENESS

• We need to give forgiveness to others in order to receive forgiveness from God
• Forgiveness is the key to life´s blessings, grace and mercy.
• The greatest hindrance to our prayer is lack of forgiveness. “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespassed against us”

THE HUMAN ASPECTS OF FORGIVENESS

• Forgiveness sets us free from self-imprisonment to bitterness, hatred, depressions, anger, and unhappiness etc.
• It is healing and liberation from psycho-physical pains, anguish, sicknesses like migraine, high blood pressure, ulcers, insomnia, etc.
• Forgiveness is for our own joy, peace of mind, tranquillity, and sanity more than the offender’s well-being.

FORGIVENESS IS INCOMPLETE UNTIL  THERE IS RESTORATION

IMPORTANT POINTS TO REMEMBER

1. It is not easy to forgive. Forgiveness is gradual and possible.
2. Forgiveness does not mean forgetfulness because we are human with memory.

• Un-forgiveness is natural, normal and human but not divine and Christian-like.

1. Forgiveness does not mean the offender maybe change or repent or even ask forgiveness. It may never have reciprocal responses. We must bear that in mind
2. Yet forgiveness is the pathway to inner and true peace of heart, mind and body.

Finally, there can never be forgiveness without restoration. God forgives us in Christ Jesus and restores to our sonship. The parable of the Prodigal son ends in restoration too. This is the most important part of our forgiveness: restoration of the person as we were before things went bad. To give and receive forgiveness means restoration without conditions. Humanly difficult if not impossible yet divinely possible by God´s grace.

OUR PRAYER

Lord Jesus Christ, it is really hard to forgive, so hard when the hurt is deep and being renewed again and again through justification, insensitivity or pride to hold on to one´s correctness or defence line. Help us with your grace to forgive those who hurt deeply as you did. “Father forgive them for they know what they do.” Amen.