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Homily for Twenty Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

READ: (Sir 27: 30 -28:7; Rom 14: 7-9; Matt 18:21-35)

REFLECT: Forgive forever and forgive everyone who have hurt and harmed us…

Dear friends, today we are in the Twenty Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time. As someone rightly said, “Forgiveness is not merely accepting what happened or ceasing to be angry. Rather, it involves a voluntary transformation of one’s feelings, attitudes, and behavior; so that one is no longer dominated by resentment and can express compassion, generosity, or the like toward the person who wronged another.” Yes, forgiveness is an overflow and a heart full of mercy and compassion for the other who have wronged us or do harm to us by way of hurt and resentment. Although to forgive another is a hard feel and deal, yet it’s not impossible. It all depends on the dispositions of our hearts and the right understanding of people, their times, situations and stand. So based on the liturgy of the word, I would like to share with you the importance and the healing that can take  place in us through the path of forgiveness. 

1. Have compassion:

We all know “to have compassion” means to empathize with another who goes through suffering and reduce the sufferings that one goes through a certain extent. Pope Francis tells us, “Compassion allows you to see reality; compassion is like the lens of the heart: it allows us to take in and   understand the true dimensions.” Compassion is not merely a sympathy that remains with the feelings level rather it goes beyond, making efforts and doing it concretely to help the one who suffers terribly.” One of the ways that we all of us terribly suffer and have miserably fallen short of is revenge, hatred and unforgiving attitudes. That’s what the first reading from the book of Sirach presents to us and invites us to get rid of all revenge, hatred and overlook the offences committed by others. 

The first reading from the book of Sirach gives us what to avoid and show compassion to one another. The things that we need to avoid are revenge, hatred and offences of others. The moment we avoid such inhuman acts and show compassion to one another, we automatically incline to God’s offer of forgiveness. If we don’t show compassion to another, we won’t obtain healing from God or offer of forgiveness from God we won’t obtain the same. That’s why the book of Sirach very beautifully tells us, “If one bears resentment against another how can he or she asks for healing from God or if one does not show compassion to another how he or she can pray for forgiveness of their sins?” So compassion to another one who wronged us or harmed us is a prerequisite for God’s forgiveness over us, because God shows mercy on us, depending on how we have treated others with mercy and compassion. 

Today, what haunts us as individuals, as family members and as human persons is lack of compassion for another. Just as the need of mercy is realized in the time of misery, so also the offer of forgiveness is realized through healing, when we give up hurt, revenge and hatred. Only thing that can help each one of us to live happily and peacefully is mercy and compassion that we manifest in life. Because, when we show mercy and compassion, we manifest the compassionate face of God and bring healing to one another. That’s why Pope Francis very beautifully says, “If compassion is the language of God, so often human language is that of indifference.” Yes, the language of God is always compassion but only we humans are indifferent to the language of God and we become indifferent and inhuman to people around us by revenge, hatred and hurtful feelings. Let us realize that whenever we are compassionate to another, we communicate the language of God to people; when we communicate the language of God to other we become one in communion and union with God and God’s people. 

2.              Know our origin and end:

We all of us as Christians and Catholics believe that we have our origin and end in God, because God is our creator and it is to him we return after death. The knowledge of origin and end in God enable us to live life fully focused to walk in faithfulness to the Lord. The failure to understand and realize our origin and end in God divides us and makes us see us different from each other that disrupts us and destroys our peaceful and harmonious relationship with God and with one another. Today’s second reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans points out such disruption and so invites each one to overlook the differences and remain united in the Lord, as we belong to the Lord totally. 

The previous passage of the Second reading from Romans (Rom: 14: 1-6) and the passages thereafter (Rom 14: 10 ff) speak of those who judge, criticize and despise others on the basis of food habits and days of obligation. Perhaps, the second reading of the day is sandwiched between (Rom 14: 1-6 and 10-23) and spells out our origin and end in Jesus, the Lord. That’s why St. Paul would say, “Either in life or in death, we belong to the Lord.” Yes, if we have our origin and destiny in God, we need to have the mind of Christ in accepting others and encouraging one another to walk in faith towards God. St.  Paul, by making Jews and gentiles understand their priorities, to have respect for the conscience of others, invites each one of us too to sacrifice our own comforts and conveniences for the well-being of others and live in harmony and peaceful relationship with one another.

If we have origin and destiny in God or if we live or die to the Lord, then we need to realize that we as Christians are called to manifest in our lives God’s glory and please God through our thoughts, actions, ambitions, choices, and decisions. Because when we bring glory to the Lord or please the Lord, our personal or individual choices, plans, decisions don’t become centre of our living rather God’s choice, plans and decisions become centre of our lives. When we belong to the Lord completely in life and in death, we become God’s children and God takes complete ownership of us. Today, many are the paths by which we have forgotten that we belong to God. The paths like individualism, favoritism, addictions to unhealthy desires and wishes etc make us feel that we take ownership of life than giving into the hands of God, who is the author and owner of life. The moment we take ownership of the life that God have given us, we become slaves to our own desires and wishes, plans and projects that destroy the self and others too and lose the divine touch with God. 

Today, St. Paul reminds us that we belong totally to God in life and in death. Therefore, the difference of opinions, suggestions, approaches should not divide us rather bring us to harmony with one another in doing what God wants of us than what each individual thinks or wants. So let us give up all that hinders us to realize our origin and destiny in God. The moment we realize our origin and destiny in God, the life that we live would inspire others, life would be in harmony and peaceful relationship with others, we would stop noticing the differences and defects that we all have but accept one another as God’s children, as our brothers and sisters in the Lord. So let us realize the origin and destiny in God and walk the way that leads us to God always. 

3.              Offer Forgiveness always:

We all know that forgiveness is an offer of love that we manifest, although there may be hurt and harm from others. The act of forgiveness makes us forget the score of wrongs and gives the courage to deal with people freely without grudge or complaint as if nothing happened. Forgiveness offers us a platform to renew life and mend the broken or unhealed relationships. The gospel reading of the day presents to us two questions with answers; how many times we need to forgive and why we need to forgive others. 

Firstly, the gospel reading narrates us the question of Peter as how many times he needs to forgive others. Jesus gives a spontaneous answer to peter, “seventy-times seven,” indicating to forgive as many times as possible, in fact forgive always. Yes, forgiveness is not an hour affair or day affair or an annual affair rather forgiveness is a daily affair and a life-long affair. We need to forgive our brothers and sisters always. Very aptly and meaningfully Pope Francis shares the importance and good works of forgiveness saying, “Always. Always forgive. Don’t put it off.  If there is a person asking you for forgiveness, who are you to ask if he or she may or may not be sincere? You take their word for it, and forgive. Always forgive. Please, always forgive. With Christ’s forgiveness you don’t play around, you don’t joke.” Yes, forgiveness is to be offered to everyone and always. It is not to be counted or set limits to forgive people rather it is to be practiced as a daily offer and daily affair too.

Secondly the parable presents to us why we need to forgive others. The parable of the unforgiving servant only depicts the way we deal with others. The King in the parable forgave the debt of his servant as he pleaded for mercy but the servant did not forgive the debt of his fellow-servant even after the servant’s incessant plea and cry. The king is the symbolic figuration of God himself who forgives us always but we all represent the servant, who after having received the offer of forgiveness from God is not ready to forgive others of their faults and flaws. God does not demand his rights over us as he is always right and his verdict always true, but we by the demands that we make from others become like the wicked servant, who grabbed the throat of his fellow-servant to the extent of choking, putting others in prison of humiliation, hurt and shame. 

Very fittingly, Pope Francis tells us that “forgiveness is a human right and it is the ability to be forgiven is a human right. We all have the right to be forgiven if we ask for forgiveness.” Yes, today we all of us have forgotten this human right to forgive one another and live in peaceful relationships. Today, many of us as individuals, as family members, as people of different groups in faith and walk of life have failed to use this medium of forgiveness to unite ourselves in relationships with one another. As a result of this, there is hatred, jealousy, disharmony and disunity in human relationships and in the society.

Today, there is a lot of mishap and misunderstanding in human relationships, because of the lack of forgiveness. But if we could use the medium or virtue of forgiveness that God has shown us in and through Jesus, we all might be able to live in peaceful relationship with one another. The havoc or tragedy in life is that we are not ready to forgive others and even if we forgive others, we are not able to forget the harmful or hurtful even or the damage done to us on such occasions. It only just implies that we have not forgiven others completely. Perhaps, forgiveness requires God’s grace and we need to have courage and strength forgive the one who has hurt our sentiments and feelings disrespectfully. Let us seek the grace of God to obtain courage and strength to forgive one another as God has forgiven us in Christ Jesus. Let the good acts and gesture of forgiveness be offered forever and always to everyone.

RESPOND: 

Do we have compassion and show compassion to others without revenge or hurt, grudges and grumblings?

Do we realize that we have our origin and end in God and make efforts to totally belong to God?

Do we offer forgiveness to all people at all times or have we set limits to forgive or favor only those whom we like to forgive? 

Let us have compassion for one another, know that our origin and destiny is in God and offer forgiveness for all at all times. Amen.

God bless us all! Live Jesus!

Fr. Ramesh George MSFS

rameshvkmsfs@gmail.com

9500930968