Memory, Meaning and Matter-of-fact
24th Sunday in Ordinary Time - 17th September, 2017
Eccl 27:33 - 28:9; Rom 14: 7-9; Mt 18: 21-35
Today we have the most Christian of all lessons - a lesson on forgiveness. That is the key not only to a true Christian life but also to a truly happy life.
The crucial question of the lesson today is, Why should we forgive? Why should we forgive, if someone has done harm to us? Isn't it against justice? If the one who has offended continues to offend, do I remain on the ground, receiving everything lying down? Jesus seems to be answering these questions as he speaks those words to Peter - not just seven times, seventy times seven. Jesus teaches us to forgive not just our friends but our enemies, and to pray for them. Apart from that response and teaching of Jesus, we have three reasons underlined today in the readings...
We have to forgive because our past demands it from us. MEMORY teaches us that we have to forgive. Looking at what God has done for us, the experience of our own past, where we have been excused so much, pardoned so abundantly and loved beyond all our limitations, we have no excuse; we have to forgive. Look at that man who was pardoned such a large amount by the ruler - what should he have done? Forgive, isnt it? If only he thought a bit about what he has experienced from his ruler, he would not have been so mean. It is important for us to develop this memory, the Memory of the Mercy that we have been granted in abundance.
We have to forgive because our present requires it from us. We are Christians, or so we call ourselves! If we are Christians but we do not live what Christ taught and lived for, then our life has no MEANING at all. The very Meaning of the life that we are living right now, comes from the fact that we take our name from Christ himself. If so, we need to live faithful to that name.Whether we live or die, we are for Christ, we are with Christ and we belong to Christ. Only this gives meaning to our existence, or death, or sufferings or every bit of our daily experiences. Without forgiving can we call ourselves Christians? It is easy at times to forgive people who are our enemies, people whom we know are against us, people who are far away from us. But it is not so easy to forgive our own close friends, those who are all the time with us, persons who enjoy a great part of our confidence. But Jesus stands a model even in these - he not only forgave the Jews and Romans who killed him or the soldiers who treated him with contempt, but also the closest of his collaborators who turned against or indifferent towards him. If I need to live a meaningful life, here and now, I better learn to forgive.
We have to forgive because our future depends on that, as a MATTER-OF-FACT. As the first readings says so simply and the parable Jesus narrates in the gospel points out, if we need to be forgiven, if we have to be accepted as children of God, if we have to qualify as disciples of Christ, we should forgive and there is no option to it. It is a matter of fact, there is no two opinions about it. Jesus is crystal clear, the Word is insistent and the Spirit inspires us to forgive, because only through that we make ourselves worthy of the forgiveness of God.
Consider the well known images...of Nelson Mandela who remained in the prison for 27 years due to racism and when he stepped out he chose to forgive and work with the authorities towards abolition of apartheid... of the wife of Graham Steins who was killed with two of his sons and how she announced with firmness, I forgive those who killed my loved ones... of the family of Sr. Rani Maria who was stabbed to death and the assassin who is now a Christian because he was forgiven and accepted as one among them by the family... of Pope Saint John Paul II who forgave the one who attempted to assassinate him, Ali Agca and how the latter came back after 31 years to Rome, to St. Peter's, to John Paul the II's tomb to pay his homage. He says he wishes to meet in person Pope Francis and if Pope Francis wishes, he is ready to serve the Church as a Catholic Priest.
Look at all these images... what do they communicate... a lesson on forgiveness! That is what the Lord wants to leave with us today. Let us take this lesson to our heart, and consider seriously practicing this teaching, if not, we would remain far from what we claim to be - that is, Christians!
The crucial question of the lesson today is, Why should we forgive? Why should we forgive, if someone has done harm to us? Isn't it against justice? If the one who has offended continues to offend, do I remain on the ground, receiving everything lying down? Jesus seems to be answering these questions as he speaks those words to Peter - not just seven times, seventy times seven. Jesus teaches us to forgive not just our friends but our enemies, and to pray for them. Apart from that response and teaching of Jesus, we have three reasons underlined today in the readings...
We have to forgive because our past demands it from us. MEMORY teaches us that we have to forgive. Looking at what God has done for us, the experience of our own past, where we have been excused so much, pardoned so abundantly and loved beyond all our limitations, we have no excuse; we have to forgive. Look at that man who was pardoned such a large amount by the ruler - what should he have done? Forgive, isnt it? If only he thought a bit about what he has experienced from his ruler, he would not have been so mean. It is important for us to develop this memory, the Memory of the Mercy that we have been granted in abundance.
We have to forgive because our present requires it from us. We are Christians, or so we call ourselves! If we are Christians but we do not live what Christ taught and lived for, then our life has no MEANING at all. The very Meaning of the life that we are living right now, comes from the fact that we take our name from Christ himself. If so, we need to live faithful to that name.Whether we live or die, we are for Christ, we are with Christ and we belong to Christ. Only this gives meaning to our existence, or death, or sufferings or every bit of our daily experiences. Without forgiving can we call ourselves Christians? It is easy at times to forgive people who are our enemies, people whom we know are against us, people who are far away from us. But it is not so easy to forgive our own close friends, those who are all the time with us, persons who enjoy a great part of our confidence. But Jesus stands a model even in these - he not only forgave the Jews and Romans who killed him or the soldiers who treated him with contempt, but also the closest of his collaborators who turned against or indifferent towards him. If I need to live a meaningful life, here and now, I better learn to forgive.
We have to forgive because our future depends on that, as a MATTER-OF-FACT. As the first readings says so simply and the parable Jesus narrates in the gospel points out, if we need to be forgiven, if we have to be accepted as children of God, if we have to qualify as disciples of Christ, we should forgive and there is no option to it. It is a matter of fact, there is no two opinions about it. Jesus is crystal clear, the Word is insistent and the Spirit inspires us to forgive, because only through that we make ourselves worthy of the forgiveness of God.
Consider the well known images...of Nelson Mandela who remained in the prison for 27 years due to racism and when he stepped out he chose to forgive and work with the authorities towards abolition of apartheid... of the wife of Graham Steins who was killed with two of his sons and how she announced with firmness, I forgive those who killed my loved ones... of the family of Sr. Rani Maria who was stabbed to death and the assassin who is now a Christian because he was forgiven and accepted as one among them by the family... of Pope Saint John Paul II who forgave the one who attempted to assassinate him, Ali Agca and how the latter came back after 31 years to Rome, to St. Peter's, to John Paul the II's tomb to pay his homage. He says he wishes to meet in person Pope Francis and if Pope Francis wishes, he is ready to serve the Church as a Catholic Priest.
Look at all these images... what do they communicate... a lesson on forgiveness! That is what the Lord wants to leave with us today. Let us take this lesson to our heart, and consider seriously practicing this teaching, if not, we would remain far from what we claim to be - that is, Christians!
