SEVENTY-SEVEN TIMES

August 12, Thursday

NINETEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

 

In an epic style, imitating that of the crossing of the Sea of Reeds at the Exodus, the author of the Book of Joshua narrates how the people of Israel crossed the Jordan and entered into the Promised Land.

God is good and merciful by nature, forgiving, loyal, radiating generosity. It is natural for him to forgive. In our case, things are more complicated. Are we understanding and forgiving by nature? By calling, yes, but by nature? And second, in God’s case there is only one offended party, God. In our situation, quite often, there are two offenders and two offended parties. Shall the twain ever meet, if only one is willing to let bygones be bygones and to make a fresh start? When we are hurt, we have to tear the word or gesture of forgiveness from our hearts. And yet, we have to do it seventy-times seven times, says the Lord…

 

First Reading: Joshua 3:7-13

God said to Joshua, “This very day I will begin to make you great in the eyes of all Israel. They’ll see for themselves that I’m with you in the same way that I was with Moses. You will command the priests who are carrying the Chest of the Covenant: ‘When you come to the edge of the Jordan’s waters, stand there on the river bank.’”

Then Joshua addressed the People of Israel: “Attention! Listen to what God, your God, has to say. This is how you’ll know that God is alive among you—he will completely dispossess before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites. Look at what’s before you: the Chest of the Covenant. Think of it—the Master of the entire earth is crossing the Jordan as you watch. Now take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man from each tribe. When the soles of the feet of the priests carrying the Chest of God, Master of all the earth, touch the Jordan’s water, the flow of water will be stopped—the water coming from upstream will pile up in a heap.”

 

Gospel: Matthew 18:21-19:1

A Story About Forgiveness

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

God of mercy and compassion,
you know how sometimes
we have to wring forgiveness from our torn hearts.
Maybe we cannot pardon in others
what we condemn in ourselves.
We are at the same time guilty and offended.
God, help us to understand ourselves,
that we may be more understanding to others
and that we may learn to forgive
totally and without regret
as you forgive us again and again
through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

 

Reflection:

“You will pay for it”!

Jesus gives us a catechesis about the unity of brothers and sisters and ends it with a beautiful word: “I assure you that if two of you, two or three, will agree and ask for a grace, it will be granted to you.” Unity, friendship and peace among brothers and sisters attracts the benevolence of God. And Peter asks the question: “Yes, but what should we do with the people that offend us? If my brother offends me, how many times will I have to forgive him? Seven times?” And Jesus answered with an idiom, “Seventy times seven,” which meant, “always.” You must always forgive.

Our selfish heart is always attached to hatred, revenge, resentment. We have all seen families destroyed by hate. Hatred is passed on from one generation to the next. We have seen siblings who, in front of the coffin of their parents, do not greet each other because they carry on old grudges.

The devil succeeds in making us believe that nurturing hatred is a symbol of being strong and to love and forgive is an act of weakness. The devil always occupies himself among our grudges, among our hates and destroys everything. The devil succeeds in keeping us away from the Lord who celebrates for a sinner who draws near to him and forgets everything.

When God forgives us, he forgets all the evil we have done. God loses the memory of the awful stories of so many of our sins. He asks of us only one thing: “Do the same: learn to forgive.”

Have you ever said to anyone: “You will pay for it”. This word is neither Christian nor human. The generosity of Jesus teaches us that in order to enter heaven we must forgive. Remember the Lord raising this question: “Do you go to Mass? IF yes, when you go to Mass and you remember that your brother has something against you, reconcile first; don’t come to me with love for me in one hand and hate for your brother in the other.”

May the Lord teach us this wisdom of forgiveness that is not easy. And let us do one thing: when we go to confession, to receive the sacrament of reconciliation, let us first ask ourselves, “Do I forgive?” If I feel that I do not forgive, do not pretend to ask forgiveness, because I will not be forgiven. Asking for forgiveness is forgiving. They both go together. They can’t be separated.

 

Video available on Youtube: “You will pay for it”!