Beloved in Christ,
We must forgive those who offend us; it is an obligation. If we do not forgive those who sin against us, we should not expect God to forgive us. If God does not forgive us our sins, we face eternal condemnation. That is not a pleasant truth. A cursory reading of some verses from this Sunday’s readings from Sirach 27 and Matthew 18 clearly buttresses the challenging divine order to forgive: “Could anyone refuse mercy to another like himself, can he seek pardon for his own sin? (Sir 28:4 ). “So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart” (Matthew 18:35). To forgive is at the heart of Christian living, yet it is not an easy choice to make. Nevertheless, Jesus teaches that God’s forgiveness of our sin depends on forgiving our brothers and sisters when they sin against us.
What is the basis of our obligation to forgive? We forgive not only because God ordered it and because of the advantage we derive from it, but because, by forgiving, we echo and replicate God’s love and mercy. Our Lord is kind and merciful. Our God gave His Son, Jesus, for the salvation of our souls. By the shedding of His innocent blood, Jesus redeemed us from the debt of sin we are incapable of paying, as illustrated in the parable of this Sunday’s gospel. Jesus satisfied the debt of sin we are eternally incapable of satisfying. The least we can do is to imitate Him by forgiving without limitation. We must forgive without limitation, and from the heart.
Now, to forgive is hard. It must be a movement of grace and a response of choice. It does not demand that we feel good about it; it is not based on emotions. It is an act of will inspired by grace. We may never forget the act inflicted on us by the one we forgive, but we must never let our remembrance of the ill done to us revive sentiments of hate, malice, or anger. We need God’s grace to forgive. We must pray for that grace because we need to forgive to say the Lord’s Prayer and ask God to forgive our sins. We need to forgive to experience freedom and peace of mind. Unforgiveness enslaves us to the person who wronged us. The process of forgiveness may be long, but it must begin immediately. Is there someone we need to forgive? Is there someone we have forgiven verbally but not from the depth of our heart? Forgiveness must be genuine and unlimited. May we be instructed by God’s Divine Mercy in our holy choice to forgive, because to forgive is to be godly and liberated.
Two major feasts this week should draw our attention. We have the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross and the memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows. I encourage you to schedule time to attend both Masses. Since September is traditionally devoted to Our Lady of Sorrows, consider adding to your prayers the Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows of Mary as instructed by Our Lady of Kibeho in Rwanda.
In His Cross,
Fr. Alayode, OP
We must forgive those who offend us; it is an obligation. If we do not forgive those who sin against us, we should not expect God to forgive us. If God does not forgive us our sins, we face eternal condemnation. That is not a pleasant truth. A cursory reading of some verses from this Sunday’s readings from Sirach 27 and Matthew 18 clearly buttresses the challenging divine order to forgive: “Could anyone refuse mercy to another like himself, can he seek pardon for his own sin? (Sir 28:4 ). “So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart” (Matthew 18:35). To forgive is at the heart of Christian living, yet it is not an easy choice to make. Nevertheless, Jesus teaches that God’s forgiveness of our sin depends on forgiving our brothers and sisters when they sin against us.
What is the basis of our obligation to forgive? We forgive not only because God ordered it and because of the advantage we derive from it, but because, by forgiving, we echo and replicate God’s love and mercy. Our Lord is kind and merciful. Our God gave His Son, Jesus, for the salvation of our souls. By the shedding of His innocent blood, Jesus redeemed us from the debt of sin we are incapable of paying, as illustrated in the parable of this Sunday’s gospel. Jesus satisfied the debt of sin we are eternally incapable of satisfying. The least we can do is to imitate Him by forgiving without limitation. We must forgive without limitation, and from the heart.
Now, to forgive is hard. It must be a movement of grace and a response of choice. It does not demand that we feel good about it; it is not based on emotions. It is an act of will inspired by grace. We may never forget the act inflicted on us by the one we forgive, but we must never let our remembrance of the ill done to us revive sentiments of hate, malice, or anger. We need God’s grace to forgive. We must pray for that grace because we need to forgive to say the Lord’s Prayer and ask God to forgive our sins. We need to forgive to experience freedom and peace of mind. Unforgiveness enslaves us to the person who wronged us. The process of forgiveness may be long, but it must begin immediately. Is there someone we need to forgive? Is there someone we have forgiven verbally but not from the depth of our heart? Forgiveness must be genuine and unlimited. May we be instructed by God’s Divine Mercy in our holy choice to forgive, because to forgive is to be godly and liberated.
Two major feasts this week should draw our attention. We have the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross and the memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows. I encourage you to schedule time to attend both Masses. Since September is traditionally devoted to Our Lady of Sorrows, consider adding to your prayers the Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows of Mary as instructed by Our Lady of Kibeho in Rwanda.
In His Cross,
Fr. Alayode, OP
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