19TH THURSDAY HOMILY THE ORDINARY TIME — YEAR A
19TH THURSDAY HOMILY THE ORDINARY TIME — YEAR A
HOMILY THEME: FORGIVING FROM THE HEART
BY: Fr. Isaac Awe
Josh 3:7-11, 13-17; Psalm 114:1-6; Matt 18:21–19:1
Do we hold any grudge or resentment towards anyone?
How does mercy and justice go together? The prophet Amos speaks of God forgiving transgression three times, but warns that God may not revoke punishment for the fourth ( Amos 1:3-13; 2:1-6). When Peter posed the question of forgiveness, he characteristically offered an answer he thought Jesus would be pleased with. Why not forgive seven times! How unthinkable for Jesus to counter with the proposition that one must forgive seventy times that. Jesus made it clear that there is no reckonable limit to forgiveness. And he drove the lesson home with a parable about two very different kinds of debts.
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No offence our neighbour can do to us can compare with our debt to God! If God has forgiven each of us our debt, which was very great, we, too must forgive others the debt they owe us. Jesus teaches that one must forgive in order to be forgiven. If we do not forgive our fellow man we cannot expect God to forgive us.
James says that judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy (James 2:13). Mercy is truly a gift and it is offered in such a way that justice is not negated. Mercy “seasons” justice as “salt” seasons meat and gives it flavour. Mercy follows justice and perfects it. To pardon the unrepentant is not mercy but license.
PRAYER: Lord, you have been kind and forgiving towards us. May we be merciful as you are merciful. Free us from all bitterness and resentment that we may truly forgive from the heart those who have caused us injury or grief. Amen.
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