HOMILY OF THURSDAY OF THE 24TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME CYCLE I

HOMILY OF THURSDAY OF THE 24TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME CYCLE I

THEME: THE FAITH A SINFUL WOMAN..…..” Your faith has saved you; go in peace”

BY: Fr. Ferran JARABO i Carbonell
(Agullana, Girona, Spain)

Homily for Thursday September 16 2021

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 7,36-50.

Today, the Gospel is calling us to be attentive to the forgiveness, which our Lord offers us: «Your sins are forgiven» (Lk 7:48). There are two things we Christians have to remember: we have to forgive without judging the person and we have to love a lot, for we are forgiven by God freely. It is like a double movement: the forgiveness received and the loving forgiveness we have to grant.

«When someone insults us, do not put the blame on him, but on the devil who is forcing him to insult us, and throw upon the devil all your wrath; as for the unfortunate whom the devil forces to do what he does, feel sorry for him» (St. John Crysostom). We are not to judge the person but to condemn the evil act. The person always is the continuous object of the Lord’s love, so only our acts move us away from God. We have, therefore, to be always willing to forgive, receive and love the person, while refusing those acts opposite to God’s love.

«The sinner wounds God’s honor and love, his own human dignity as a man called to be a Son of God, and the spiritual well-being of the Church, of which each Christian ought to be a living stone» (Catechism of the Church, n. 1487). Through the Sacrament of Penance the person has the possibility and the opportunity to rebuild his relationship with God and with the whole Church. Our reply to the forgiveness received can only be our love. Recovering the grace and the reconciliation has to bring us to love with Christ like love. We are called to love as God loves!

Let us especially wonder today whether we realize how great God’s forgiveness is, if we are those who love the person and fight the sin and, finally, if we attend with confidence to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. With the help of God we can do anything. May our humble prayer help us too.

Fr. Ferran JARABO i Carbonell
(Agullana, Girona, Spain)