THE INSISTENCE ON FORGIVENESS

TWENTY THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Ezekiel 33: 7-9, Ps.95, Romans 13: 8 – 10, Matthew 18: 15 – 20

One of the most difficult things to do in our lifetime is to forgive those who have wronged us! It is difficult because we are focused on the hurt which others have inflicted upon us. It is difficult for a wife to forgive her husband who after 25 years of marriage left her forever. It is difficult for a mother to forgive the criminal who killed her only loving daughter. It is difficult to forgive friends who after opening ourselves to them decide to betray us. Humanly speaking, it is difficult to forgive. Yet in our Gospel today, Jesus provided us steps in forgiving and correcting our neighbors.

Let me not focus on the steps because they are clearly presented in our Gospel today. Let me however share with you on the “why” of forgiveness. Why did Jesus insist on forgiveness?

First, right at the start of the Gospel, we hear Jesus using the word, “brother.” “If your brother sins against you, go and tell his fault between you and him alone.” This signals to us that in every community where we belong we are all related. We are not like robots that function as programmed. We can talk, listen, and relate with one another. And in our interaction with one another comes an inevitable reality – conflicts! Thus, Jesus has to carefully lay down the steps to genuine forgiveness. If we do not forgive, then, as Pope Francis puts it, “seeds of jealousy and envy would start to grow.” And he added, “a person under the influence of envy and jealousy, kills!” From these emerge gossip! And for the Pope, “gossip destroys the community.”

Thus, this is first our challenge today – to hold on to whatever communities we are into – in the family, in the church, at work or at school. When conflicts arise, running away is not the solution but forgiveness. We do not easily let go of our communities because where we are now is God’s will for us. Let us therefore bloom where we are planted by fertilizing ourselves with the seed of forgiveness not jealousy and envy.

Second, Jesus insists on forgiveness because we are responsible to every member of the community. As the Little Prince puts it, “You are responsible forever for what you have tamed.” In our first reading today, the prophet Ezekiel was entrusted by God the house of Israel. Thus, he is forever responsible not only to some but to all. The prophet was asked by God to preach even to the wicked. “If they do not listen, then they will die for their own selves. But if you do not preach to them and they die, then I will hold you responsible for his death.”

This is our second challenge today – to be responsible to the community that God has entrusted to us. And this responsibility is best expressed in our willingness to correct and forgive in the most compassionate way those who have wronged us. If we have fallen out of love in our family because of broken trust, then, let us be responsible enough to slowly pick up those broken pieces and renew once again that commitment to love one another in and out of season!

Finally, Jesus insists on forgiveness because according to St. Paul in our second reading today, “you owe nothing to anyone except to love one another!” Why love? St. Paul adds, “love does no evil to the neighbor, hence, love is the fulfillment of the Law.” All the other virtues necessary in every community are anchored on love! Even in heaven, what remains is love!

This is our final challenge today – that we always fall in love, stay in love, and forever be in love into whatever relationship we have. This love is best expressed in our eagerness to forgive those who have given us reasons not to love them! The failures and pains we are suffering in our families are not ends but preparations to loving more today than yesterday!

Let us learn to correct and forgive our brothers and sisters because we are a community, a family. We are called to be responsible with one another. We are governed by one eternal rule – the law of loving.

Bishop Angelito Lampon of Jolo – Sulu was asked by one of the journalists after presiding over the funeral Mass of one of his priests who was brutally murdered right outside the parish church, “Bishop, now that the hatred of the members of the other faiths has increased, are you leaving the place?” The Bishop humbly replied, “No, we are not leaving. Rather, we will continue to extend the hands of forgiveness to those who do not like us even if it will cause the end of our lives.”

The Bishop forgave because he was responsible to his community and loved all. In this Mass, let us ask for the grace to always sense that urgency to be responsible with one another and be aware of our vocation to love all so that we can humbly correct and forgive those who have wronged us! Amen!