Replies

Sunday Scripture Study

Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Cycle A

September 11, 2011

Click here for USCCB readings

Opening Prayer

First Reading: Sirach 27:30-28:7

Psalm: 103:1-4,9-12

Second Reading: Romans 14:7-9

Gospel Reading: Matthew 18:21-35

Last week’s Gospel was concerned with how to deal with those who persist in unrepentant sin or error (verses 15-20). Referring to the case where an offending party is repentant (see Luke 17:3-4) and asks forgiveness, Peter asks how often one should forgive them (verse 21). He suggests seven times - a generous amount compared to the general wisdom that a sin need not be forgiven after a third or fourth time.

Jesus answers not just seven - but seventy-seven times (some translations render this “seventy times seven”, that is, 490 times!). Jesus is making the point that forgiveness to the repentant should be unlimited. This can be seen as a contrast to the evil Lamach’s boast to enact unlimited vengeance upon those who crossed him (Genesis 4:24).

Jesus’ parable about the unforgiving servant likewise deals in unlimited forgiveness of an astronomical debt. What the New American Bible renders “a huge amount” is literally “10,000 talents”. A talent was worth about 6000 denarii (a denarius was a days wage for a laborer). Thus the entire debt was 191,000 days wages—an impossible amount to repay!

Forgiven his debt by his compassionate master, this servant then goes on to refuse a fellow servant “a much smaller amount” (or, 100 denarii).

Jesus compares the reaction of the unmerciful servant’s master to how God will deal with those who not “forgive his brother from his heart” (see Matthew 6:14-15).

QUESTIONS:

In the 1^st Reading, what does the Sacred Writer say are some of the consequences of seeking vengeance and not forgiving others?

What does the 2^nd Reading tell us about the consequences of our earthly actions in eternity?

What does Jesus’ answer to Peter say about forgiveness in the kingdom?

How does the parable of the unmerciful servant extend Jesus’ teaching on forgiveness (verses 23-35)? In refusing to be forgiving to others, what do we deny ourselves (verses 31-24)?

Based on this parable, is God’s forgiveness of us limited or unlimited? Conditional or unconditional? What are the limits of your own willingness to forgive others? Do you forgive readily? If you find it difficult to forgive, what can you do about it?

How can we forgive others while not encouraging irresponsibility? As part of forgiving someone, are you obliged to allow that person to victimize you?

How can you forgive someone from the past who hurt you deeply?

Closing Prayer

Catechism of the Catholic Church: §§ 982, 2842 - 2845

Force yourself, if necessary, to always forgive those who offend you from the very first moment. For the greatest injury or offense that you can suffer from them is nothing compared to what God has pardoned you.

–St. Josemaria Escriva

24th Sunday -- Supepr-human forgiveness

The return of the Prodigal - Tissot

The Word for Sunday: http://usccb.org/bible/readings/091111.cfm

Sirach 27:30-28:7
Rm 14: 7-9
Mt 18: 21-35

When we forgive evil we do not excuse it, we do not tolerate it, we do not smother it. We look the evil full in the face, call it what it is, let its horror shock and stun and enrage us, and only then do we forgive it . . . You will know that forgiveness has begun when you recall those who hurt you and feel the power to wish them well. (C.S. Lewis – The Joyful Christian).

This quote from the writings of the famed Christian apologist C.S. Lewis is one of my favorites. It clearly defines the reality of evil but also supports the power of forgiveness as a source of true reconciliation between people. We all know that evil exists in the world – that is an undeniable fact. How we respond to the evil around us, what we do with the every day hurts that come our way, the weaknesses we all experience will make a difference in the quality of our forgiveness. But, forgive we must for to do otherwise is to live a life that is wraped up in self. A life that brings no peace and only continues to fester in our dark hearts turning over time to more than mere hurt feelings.

On this tenth anniversary of the great evil committed upon the citizens of New York City and this Nation, the readings this Sunday are particularly challenging. It’s clear that Sirach in the first reading supports the necessity of forgiveness, “Wrath and anger are hateful things, yet the sinner hugs them tight . . . forgive your neighbor’s injustice; then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven . . .” In short, the choice is ours whether to extend reconciliation or not. Whether to, “. . . recall those who hurt you and feel the power to wish them well” as C.S. Lewis reminds us.

The Gospel conversation Jesus has with Peter is a classic and well known quote: “. . . how often must I fogive? As many as seven times? Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times . . .” Then Our Lord goes on to tell a rather harsh parable about a king and his servants to illustrate the importance of retroactive justice and restitution.

In light of all this, C.S. Lewis’ statement about not excusing evil, calling it what it is but forgiving anyway by the extension of well wishes to your neighbor, may move us to question just how realistic is this concept of unlimited forgiveness. Jesus extends Peter’s generous inquiry about seven, “I forgive you’s,” to imply that we must be like God who always forgives those who seek it.

A number of years ago, I remember a conversation in which the other person posed the hypothetical question, “Could Hitler be in heaven?” Just the very thought of it sends chills down our spine, at least it does in mine, and we want to cry out, “NO!”

Could Sadam Hussein or Osama bin Ladan be there as well? What about those who perpetrated the great evil we remember this Sunday? What about the uncle or father or mother who abused their son, daughter or nephew? The child molester who knowingly robbed innocence of innocence? The seriel murderer? The doctor who knowingly kills a child through abortion or cooperates with a terminal patient seeking assisted suicide? The drug dealer or the pimp? Such blatant evil behavior cries out for justice not reward.

Maybe the key word is not “are they” but rather “could they be?” Such extreme examples may help us to understand that if we believe in a God who is all knowing, all loving, all truth, mercy, forgiveness and justice, then we must say they “could” be but whether they are or not is a matter only God knows. Chances are, they are not.

Forgiveness is extended to those who seek it. One grave sin does not turn me into a killer or liar. Many of such repeated sins would make me a murder or a liar. If our behavior is consistently oriented towards deliberate evil actions, then we become evil people who likely are so dark that the thought of reconcilation would be no where on our personal radar. As Psalm 95 states, “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” Personal accountability is essential as well to receive forgiveness.

However, to those who take responsibility for their actions, injustice can only be repaired by justice. The death penalty is a very controversial question these days. But the injustice of murder is not made just by another killing. The only way that injustice can be reparied would be to restore the murder victim to life – that is not possible.

True forgiveness, both Sirach and Jesus seem to imply, is offered to us if we are a forgiving people, “. . . remember your last days, set enmity aside . . .” It is extended to those who imitate divine forgiveness extended to those who freely choose, of their own will, to seek true reconciliation.

I’ll offer a bit more on this but for now, let’s prepare for this Sunday by reflecting upon where we are towards our neighbor and even ourselves. Is there some sin, some issue in your life that you feel is unforgiveable? Could God forgive you? What can I do to repair damage I have caused through my anger, harsh words, selfish action? Can we extend forgiveness to someone who is not asking for it? Should we? . . .

Fr. Tim

Insight Scoop

9/11: Remembrance, Forgiveness, and Faith

Here is the opening of my "Opening the Word" column in today's edition of Our Sunday Visitor newspaper:

“To err is human,” wrote Alexander Pope, “to forgive, divine.” Alas, modern readers sometimes assume that “err” refers to an innocent mistake or laughable foible. But to err (from the Latin, errare) means to depart from moral truth, to spurn right action. Pope was making reference to this statement by St. Augustine: “To err is human, but to persist in error out of pride is diabolical.”

This same truth is presented in today’s reading from Sirach: “Wrath and anger are hateful things, yet the sinner hugs them tight.” The text contrasts vengeance with forgiveness. It makes clear all men are sinners; the questions that follow are vital for everyone: Will I forgive those who have committed injustices against me? Will I seek pardon for my sins, knowing life is short and God is a just judge?

It is always challenging to hear this passage, but it is especially difficult to contemplate, I think, on the 10th anniversary of the violent attacks we now simply call 9/11. What took place that day was diabolical, even while the brave and selfless response of so many to the pain and death around them was dramatic and inspiring. The questions raised by such violence are painful and trying. How, in the face of such evil and destruction, can we forgive those who trespass against us, and who wish to destroy us?

We can see why Pope would write that forgiveness is divine, for man’s natural inclination is toward revenge and hatred. We might feel the same desire for retaliation when we are victims of a lie, treated unjustly, mocked for stating the truth or “crucified” for our beliefs. Of course, Jesus Christ was the victim of lies, was treated unjustly, was mocked for being the Truth and was crucified — literally. And yet the Savior cried out, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do” (Lk 23:34).

Read the entire column at OSV.com (subscription required).

Monsignor Charles Pope has an excellent homily/post on forgiveness and mercy.

Kathryn Jean Lopez has a good essay on Headline Bistro about 9/11 and faith:

God has the last word.

Of all the reflections made on and lessons taken from the September 11th attacks on the United States ten years ago, would it be presumptuous for me to suggest that this is the most important?

We won’t ever fully make sense or have peace about what happened. It was evil, what was done to those innocent Americans – to the men and women whose barbecued remains lingered in the Manhattan metropolitan air for days afterward, including in National Review’s offices where I was that day, uncomfortably close to the site of the attacks.

But you didn’t have to smell what I did or see the people hanging “Missing” signs on every available lamppost and wall where their loved ones might be recognized – what for many would only prove to be an early memorial to someone murdered that day. That coming together in the hours, days and weeks afterward had something to do with the shock of confrontation with evil that everyone within reach of that day’s images felt. Some say we all changed that day.

But did we?

Prolific journalist Russell Shaw has an excellent article in Our Sunday Visitor newspaper about several different aspects of 9/11: "Sept 10, 2011: Ten Years Later, We Remember".

Peter Leithart, on FirstThings.com, argues, "The message of 9/11 was always this: The gods are still back, and they are here to stay." Meanwhile, Michael Novak, on NRO, contends, "Ten years after Sept. 11, 2001, the world has a different face, a wholly new (well, fairly ancient) set of problems, and above all, a new promise."

Five years ago, Fr. James V. Schall, S.J., wrote an excellent essay for Ignatius Insight, titled, "9/11 Revisited"; it is still a good and timely read. An snippet:

I argued from the very beginning that the attacks had already begun in the previous two decades with various bombings of ships, embassies, and aircraft in other places throughout the world, and that the driving motivation behind them was not secular, nor political, but religious. What was going on came from a theological understanding of Muslim purpose in the world. Even those Muslims, however few or many they be, who did not think that such means were the wisest ones to use, none the less, understood the legitimacy of the purpose behind them.

I further argued that, by not acknowledging this motivation, we, in a sense, did not do justice to what was going on; we did not, that is, do justice to the men who conceived and carried out the destructive plan. We thus wandered off into fields of explanation that were elaborate, sophisticated, "scientific," and often self-serving, but which did not correspond to what we were seeing, to what these men said of themselves. Basically, it seemed to me that by calling this a war on "terrorism" a war against "fanatics" or "madmen," we, in a real way, demeaned both our enemies and ourselves. We did not want to look in the eye of the real storm.

The USCCB has posted a piece, "A Time for Remembrance, Resolve and Renewal: Statement on the Tenth Anniversary of 9/11", authored by Archbishop Timothy Dolan President; it concludes:

This tenth anniversary of 9/11 can be a time of renewal.Ten years ago we came together across religious, political, social and ethnic lines to stand as one people to heal wounds and defend against terrorism.As we face today's challenges of people out of work, families struggling, and the continuing dangers of wars and terrorism, let us summon the 9/11 spirit of unity to confront our challenges.Let us pray that the lasting legacy of 9/11 is not fear, but rather hope for a world renewed.

In remembering the fateful events of September 11, 2001, may we resolve to put aside our differences and join together in the task of renewing our nation and world.Let us make our own the prayer of Pope Benedict XVI when he visited Ground Zero in New York in 2008:

O God of love, compassion, and healing,
look on us, people of many different faiths and traditions,
who gather today at this site,
the scene of incredible violence and pain….

God of understanding,
overwhelmed by the magnitude of this tragedy,
we seek your light and guidance
as we confront such terrible events.
Grant that those whose lives were spared
may live so that the lives lost here
may not have been lost in vain.
Comfort and console us,
strengthen us in hope,
and give us the wisdom and courage
to work tirelessly for a world
where true peace and love reign
among nations and in the hearts of all.

Amen.

There are many, many articles and essays about 9/11, and I'll probably add links on this post to more of them in the next day or so