DAILY HOMILIES #forgive

When you are angry for too long, the devil seizes your anger as an opportunity to whisper evil suggestions to you. You find yourself thinking of how to inflict pain on others or wishing something bad happened to them. It is witchcraft to celebrate the downfall of others just because they hurt you in the past.

If proper statistics are taken, it would reveal that the answer to this question for most of us is zero. We do not even bother to count. When we feel offended, we rush to retaliate, end the relationship (business agreement, marriage, contract etc.) or bottle everything up – waiting for the right time to strike back.

Some persons may be offended but refuse to let their offenders know. Pretending to smile with someone while carrying bitterness in your heart against them is dangerous and unchristian. No wonder Jesus says we must ensure you reconcile with those who have something against you before presenting your gift. If you are unhappy with me, let me know so I can be more careful and not worsen the injury.

Joseph not only forgave his brothers, but he also went the extra mile to protect them and provide for their needs. It is not enough to say: “I have forgiven you.” Like Joseph, we must restore the broken relationship. Too often, we say things like: “I have forgiven you, but don’t you ever come near me again.” Such forgiveness is only cosmetic.

Free your heart and move on. What you have now is far better than what you think you lost. Try to see the brighter side. Trust that God has always and will always be there for you. Even in your darkest moments, God is still there for you. He did it for Joseph. He will do it for you.

Learning from Jesus entails learning to forgive others. This is the yoke we must bear, but as Jesus says, it is easier than we think and is vital to finding rest for our souls. John tells us in today’s second reading, “Let us love one another (including our enemies), for he who does not love does not know God.” (1 John 4:7-8) If our hearts cannot love as Jesus loved, we have yet to learn from Him.

Today, Jesus wants us to know He is more pleased with our reconciliation with others than our offertories. Just as our gifts to God are expensive, forgiveness is also costly. Forgiving others is painful if the person refuses to admit their fault. However, this pain is worth it because it is pleasing to God.

Unlike the fig tree, Jesus did not curse the temple; instead, he restored its original purpose by driving out those buying, selling, and scattering their tables. If we must bear fruits, we must constantly look inwards and cleanse ourselves of those things within us that God hates. At the end of each day, take some moments to examine your conscience and find out if there are things to be thrown away or built upon.

Be an agent of Divine Mercy; show love to that brother or sister that is genuinely in need. God blessed you not to “pepper others” (show them that you have arrived) but to be a blessing to others. that which you have in excess belongs to the hungry, the less privileged, the hopeless, etc.

Like the servant whose debts were forgiven, we pray for God’s mercy every day yet we continue to nurse the hurts of others in our hearts seeking, waiting, and hoping for opportunities to strike them down. The next time you feel like dealing with someone, think about how much God has forgiven you in the past.

As we say in the Stations of the Cross, “no matter what my past has been, I can begin anew.” God is inviting us today to rise from where we have fallen, to pick up our Cross again, to say with the Prodigal Son, “I will arise and go to my Father.” Perhaps you haven’t been to the sacrament of confession for a very long time, today is another opportunity. Examine your heart, make a firm purpose of amendment, and return to God.

To condemn is to write off a person as good for nothing, irredeemable, beyond repair, and disposable. If God never gives up on us, why should we give up on our fellow human beings? As our responsorial psalm sings: “O Lord, do not treat us according to our sins.” If this is our prayer, then we too should not treat people according to their sins.