REFLECTION Sunday´s Gospel

For - GIVE - ness

Fr. James McTavish

John Lennon sang a well known song called “Imagine.” Imagine all the people living life as one, yoo hoo ooohh! Imagine if really there was more forgiveness. For sure that would lead to more unity.

Often we believe that forgiveness is very difficult. Is this really true? I remember meeting one lady in Manila. She was telling me “Oh, the teaching of Jesus on forgiveness is very hard. To forgive your enemy is very difficult.” She then went on to tell me how she was so angry with her enemy. I asked her who it was and she told me it was her own brother. He had not paid a debt to her for many years. The woman was grinding her teeth and admitted that she could not sleep but told me that the situation was not really bothering her. Of course I was surprised on asking her how long it had been going on for and she said more than 5 years. What is more difficult? To forgive another or to experience 5 years of hatred, grinding your teeth and not sleeping? What is actually hard is not the teaching of the Gospel but our heads! Our hearts! That is what is hard. We are hard headed and hard of heart.

What is needed often is to lower pride and admit we are wrong. It reminds me of an archery competition in Medieval England. The first archer had to shoot a water melon off a man’s head at 50 yards. He was successful and announced “I am Robin Hood.” Round two was more difficult – an apple. The successful archer declared “I am William Tell” another famous archer. For the third and final round and a prize of 50 gold coins the winner had to shoot a grape off of man’s head. A contestant came forward and reassured all that his vision was fine despite his thick glasses. His arrow ended up in the eye of the man. “I am sorry” he declared. It is not easy to admit our mistakes even when we are obviously wrong. Often we can try to justify and defend. This can be the sin of pride.

Jesus really challenges Peter in the gospel of today to be more forgiving (see Matt 18, 21-35). Peter approaching asked him, "Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?" Jesus answered, "I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.” In other words we have to be people who are good at forgiving others. Now obviously this is not so easy if we do not experience being forgiven ourselves. Jesus makes a strong point in the parable he tells his disciples about forgiveness. A King decided to settle the accounts of his servants. One of them owed him a fortune. Unable to pay he would have to be sold along with his wife, children and all his property. At this the debtor fell down and begged for mercy “Be patient with me and I will pay you back in full.” The King was moved with compassion and forgave him the debt.

When that servant left, he found a fellow servant who owed him a small amount and started to throttle him. He would not accept his pleas of mercy and instead had him thrown in prison. The other servants complained to the King who was furious. He called our man back and said “'You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?' Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt.” Then Jesus delivers the punch line or killer blow to Peter! “So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart."

It is a call to each one of us to live forgiveness. Are you holding a grudge against someone or are we living with rancor in our hearts? The first reading from the book of Sirach gives us some good advice and words to ponder over: “Wrath and anger are hateful things, yet the sinner hugs them tight. The vengeful will suffer the Lord’s vengeance, for he remembers their sins in detail. Forgive your neighbor's injustice; then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven. Should a man nourish anger against his fellows and expect healing from the Lord? Should a man refuse mercy to his fellows, yet seek pardon for his own sins? If he who is but flesh cherishes wrath, who will forgive his sins? Remember your last days, set enmity aside; remember death and decay, and cease from sin! Think of the commandments, hate not your neighbor; of the Most High's covenant, and overlook faults. Avoid strife and your sins will be fewer, for a quarrelsome man kindles disputes, commits the sin of disrupting friendship and sows discord among those at peace” (Sirach 27:30 - 28:9)

As we pray the ‘our Father’ this day, let us pray for the grace to put the words we say into practice: “Our Father...forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.” Amen.