Father Riley's homily for September 13, 2020

PROPER XIX - A - 20 - GEN. 50. 15-21, ROM. 14.1-12, MATT. 18-21-35

Today’s gospel follows last week’s where Jesus gave his disciples a lesson on church discipline. In that he gave us a formula for reconciliation which is at the very heart of his ministry and the one Christ has given to the church to continue in His name.

With that said, Peter raises the question how many times do I have to forgive one who has offended me. Seven times? Then, I can check the box and be done with that person? Jesus says no, forgiveness is not like that. In other words, forgiveness cannot be calculated. It is not a matter of mathematics.

It has to do with love, mercy, and grace. Christ gives his disciples an example in the story of the king who whished to settle accounts with his servants. In this parable, the king forgave a servant all of his debt even though it was enormous.

His forgiveness meant that the slate was clean between the two of them, that the servant owed him nothing. It was though the debt never existed. What a gift, what mercy, what grace, what love!

One would assume that the forgiven servant would have felt so good that he could not have done anything but “play it forward” in forgiving a much smaller debt owed him by a fellow servant. But that is not what happened. Why not?

Perhaps what was operative in the life of this servant is something that all of us struggle with on a daily basis. Even though his debt was forgiven by the king, he could not believe that he was really forgiven. Like the brothers of Joseph in today’s first lesson.

He could not forgive himself. He was angry with himself because he had failed to pay his debt. In today’s first lesson from Genesis, the brothers of Joseph who had wronged him by selling him into slavery were afraid of his retribution now that their father had died, even though Joseph had previously forgiven them. They couldn’t believe that it was true. They had not forgiven themselves for the sin they had committed against their brother and were struggling to accept his forgiveness. Yet, it was true. What a gift, what love, what grace, what mercy!

In our human relationships, we often become angry with ourselves over such matters. And when we do our favorite defense mechanism is to project that anger onto someone else. That is exactly what the forgiven servant did. He turned all of his anger and self-recrimination onto the one who owed him.

We have all had the experience of feeling anger towards ourselves because of something we said or did and then find ourselves inadvertently projecting that anger onto someone else, someone safe, someone who had nothing to do with the situation, perhaps a child, a spouse, a friend or a neighbor.

Forgiveness is difficult at best. It would be nice if forgiving the other person seven times were enough. Then, we could simply move on with life. However, Jesus teaches us that is not the way. That is not God’s way. God not only stays the punishment we deserve, but forgives us the entire debt as well.

Thankfully, God does not stop forgiving us after seven times. Because God forgives us, we in turn are to grant forgiveness to others. To believe and accept that God has forgiven us requires that we forgive ourselves. When we cannot forgive ourselves, it is easy to be like the unforgiving servant.

Back in the nineties, I made several pilgrimages to the study the Celtic tradition of the early Church in the British Isles. I traveled to Ireland, Scotland, and England and Wales, and even twice to the Isle of Mann visiting holy shrines and holy sites. One memorable visit was to Iona off the coast of Scotland.

Here St. Columba, impelled by missionary zeal, along with twelve companions built a monastic community in 563.Columba left his native Ireland and landed on the southern end of the small spite of land roughly a mile and half in length and half mile wide. There he lived for thirty-four years evangelizing the mainland and establishing monasteries in the neighboring islands.Tradition has it that if one goes and stands on the end of the isle where the saint landed confessing one’s sins and casting a handful of small stones taken from that beach into the sea, one’s sins are forgiven and the slate wiped clean as the stones disappear beneath the water.

Sometimes the words “I forgive you” are not enough. We need to feel it, to know that it is true. We need to see it, somehow, to believe it. The unforgiving servant could not believe that he was really forgiven. But he was, and so are we.

God’s love, mercy, and grace were manifested on the cross. If we need to feel it to know that it is true, we only have to look at the crucified Jesus. If we need to see it, to believe it, we only need to look again at the dying Jesus whose outstretched arms are open to receive us with love and forgiveness.

If He could forgive those who crucified him, how much more is he willing to forgive us? Through the merits of Christ’s life, death and resurrection, we have been given new life. Our debt has been paid. Our slate wiped clean. What a gift, what love, what grace, what mercy?

Can we believe that we are forgiven? Can we believe that God our King has forgiven us? In the assurance that we are, can we not accept, love, and forgive ourselves? Then free from angry self-recrimination, can we not accept, love and forgive others?

Peter’s question and Jesus’ answer says it all. If we are still counting how many times we are to forgive someone, we are not really forgiving him or her at all. Seventy times seven is a symbol of unlimited amount.

What Jesus really means, of course, is don’t even think about counting; just do it. If our hearts are open, able and willing to forgive others. It will be open to receive God’s love and forgiveness.

“O God, because without you we are not able to please you mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.” AMEN+