Aug 16 – Homily – Fr Bonaventure: Forgive 77 Times
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Homily #120816 (
06min) Play- Jesus came that sinners may have life, therefore, we must cooperate in His mission and forgive our neighbors.Ave Maria!
Mass: Ordinary Form - St. Stephen of Hungary - Optional Memorial
Readings:
1st Reading: Ezekiel 12:1-12
Responsorial Psalm: 78:56-57, 58-59, 61-62
Gospel: Matthew 18:21-19:1
Audio (MP3)+++
First Sorrowful Mystery: The Agony in the Garden
Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, Our Mother, please obtain for us, from your Son, Jesus, the grace of perfect contrition so that we may grieve over our sins which made Him suffer.
Forgiveness brings peace.
Ave Maria!
I have a friend who is divorced and remarried illicitly and can not receive the sacraments because of refusing to take the necessary steps, whatever that may involve, to rectify the presently illicit marital situation. So, forgiveness is not forthcoming from Christ and His Church in that situation. The desire to forgive this person is always there, but can not be put into effect, as there is known sin that this Catholic refuses to acknowledge.
So where is the forgiveness in all of this for my friend? We must forgive, the sermons tell us, if we are to be forgiven. Why does this not apply in my friend’s case. There is no forgiveness from Christ and His Church, but the desire to forgive, of course, is always there, ready and waiting. And in the meantime, my friend continues to live in objective mortal sin, and aware of that fact, choosing to ignore it.
So how is my friend ever going to receive effective forgiveness for this
mortal sin until acknowledging the sin and seeking to rectify the situation? And what happens then, in this case, to our idea that we must forgive everyone for every evil thing they have done, when the person prefers the sin more than forgiveness and change? If we are to forgive, as our Heavenly Father forgives, then it seems that He only forgives us if we are willing to acknowledge our sins. So the idea that we must forgive seems to have become, in some cases anyway, a state of being ready and willing to forgive, a state of lovingly desiring to forgive, and feeling sorrow and concern for the person who refuses to accept that forgiveness. This is the way of Christ and His Church with unrepentant sinners.