A NEW LEASE ON LIFE
Most of us have experienced how difficult it is to forgive. It is almost impossible. In Old English it means “give to the uttermost,” “extremely,” “as far as you can go.” Isn’t that what it really is, going all the way? Who can forget the hurt? Yet we should. Who doesn’t see and feel the scars and keep the memories? And yet we shouldn’t. Think of God: when he forgives, the evil belongs to the past. It is gone. God keeps no accounts. He wants us to think only of the future. Jesus did not condemn but gave new chances. Let us ask for the Lord’s attitude now in this Eucharist.
First Reading: SIR 27:30—28:7
A person with shifty eyes is cooking up evil for sure; the best strategy is to rush off in the opposite direction. When you meet such people, they say nice things and compliment your opinions, but at the last minute their lips curl and the knives come out. I’ve disliked many things, and I’ve never liked unfaithful friends. Even the Lord dislikes them. As a stone tossed in the air will fall on your head, so a lie that wounds another will also wound you.
Whoever digs a hole will fall into it; whoever tries to trip up another will be tripped up; whoever sets a snare for another will step on it. Make a wicked judgment and it’ll return to haunt you; you won’t know where it came from. Illusion and impropriety belong to the proud; vengeance lies in wait for them like a lion. Take pleasure when the just fail and you’ll be caught by the same trap. Anger and furor are both detestable, yet the sinner holds on to them for dear life.
If you seek revenge upon another, you’ll get your comeuppance from the Lord; the Lord already has you on the Revenge Watch List. Forgive your neighbors on the near side when they sin against you; in return, your neighbors on the far side will do the same. Should anyone harbor anger against another and expect to be forgiven? If you don’t show mercy toward another, should the Lord still show mercy to you? Can human beings keep their anger on high and still expect forgiveness from the Lord?
Second Reading: Romans 14:7-9
What’s important in all this is that if you keep a holy day, keep it for God’s sake; if you eat meat, eat it to the glory of God and thank God for prime rib; if you’re a vegetarian, eat vegetables to the glory of God and thank God for broccoli. None of us are permitted to insist on our own way in these matters. It’s God we are answerable to—all the way from life to death and everything in between—not each other. That’s why Jesus lived and died and then lived again: so that he could be our Master across the entire range of life and death, and free us from the petty tyrannies of each other.
Gospel: Matthew 18:21-35
At that point Peter got up the nerve to ask, “Master, how many times do I forgive a brother or sister who hurts me? Seven?”
Jesus replied, “Seven! Hardly. Try seventy times seven.
“The kingdom of God is like a king who decided to square accounts with his servants. As he got under way, one servant was brought before him who had run up a debt of a hundred thousand dollars. He couldn’t pay up, so the king ordered the man, along with his wife, children, and goods, to be auctioned off at the slave market.
“The poor wretch threw himself at the king’s feet and begged, ‘Give me a chance and I’ll pay it all back.’ Touched by his plea, the king let him off, erasing the debt.
“The servant was no sooner out of the room when he came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him ten dollars. He seized him by the throat and demanded, ‘Pay up. Now!’
“The poor wretch threw himself down and begged, ‘Give me a chance and I’ll pay it all back.’ But he wouldn’t do it. He had him arrested and put in jail until the debt was paid. When the other servants saw this going on, they were outraged and brought a detailed report to the king.
“The king summoned the man and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave your entire debt when you begged me for mercy. Shouldn’t you be compelled to be merciful to your fellow servant who asked for mercy?’ The king was furious and put the screws to the man until he paid back his entire debt. And that’s exactly what my Father in heaven is going to do to each one of you who doesn’t forgive unconditionally anyone who asks for mercy.”
Prayer
All-loving Father,
you are good and patient,
compassionate, loving, and merciful with sinners like us.
You forgive us all our debt of sin.
Let your pardon brings us much joy and hope
and induce us to forget and forgive readily
the debts, often so small, that others owe us
because of the wrongs they have done to us.
You have restored us to life:
help us to make others live by our pardon,
that they may feel a bit of your goodness in us.
We ask this through Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Video available at: bibleclaret.org
