The Power of Forgivness
Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant by Jan van Hemessen (c. 1556)
Peter asked “Lord, how often must I forgive? As many as seven times?” Matthew 18:21
This Sunday’s readings are the continuation of last Sunday’s readings. If you remember, last Sunday we heard in the readings, especially in the gospel, what to do when someone sins against you. First, Jesus says, “go and tell him his fault between you and him alone…If he does not listen take one or two brothers as witnesses…If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church.” (Matthew 18:15-20) In my homily I mentioned that unfortunately most of the times we do the opposite. We first let the community know about the faults other people have committed against us and usually they are the last to know about it.
This Sunday , Mathew continues with the theme of forgiveness in which Jesus is addressed by Peter who asks him “Lord, If my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus answered, “I say to you, not as seven times but seventy times seven.” Both gospels speak to us of a sad reality in our lives that in spite of efforts to live a Christian lives, we are not perfect, we are not angels nor saints. We fail and sin and hurt other people just as others do against us. What to do with this unfortunate reality? Jesus gives us the answer: Cancel the debt—always forgive. There is power in forgiveness and God gives us the grace to do so. When we don’t forgive we poison ourselves with toxic thoughts of the damage we have received. When we forgive, on the other hand, we not only redeem the person we forgive, but we are not letting this damage control our lives and happiness.
There is the story of Michelangelo, the great Italian sculptor, who was in the mountains picking rocks for his work and of his workers asked him “Michelangelo, how do you transform a piece of rock into a piece of art?” Michelangelo answered, “that’s easy, I take away what does not belong to the piece of art.” We should be like Michelangelo, we should be divine artists who and look at the piece of art in our brothers and sisters and take away that pieces of “rock” that are not important. We can transform their lives with the power of love; we can transform their hearts with the power of forgiveness.
Blessing,
Fr. Abel Loera, Pastor
Readings for the Week
Monday: 1 Tm 2:1-8; Ps 28:2, 7-9; Lk 7:1-10
Tuesday: 1 Tm 3:1-13; Ps 101:1b-3ab, 5-6; Lk 7:11-17
Wednesday: 1 Tm 3:14-16; Ps 111:1-6; Lk 7:31-35
Thursday: Eph 4:1-7, 11-13; Ps 19:2-5; Mt 9:9-13
Friday: 1 Tm 6:2c-12; Ps 49:6-10, 17-20; Lk 8:1-3
Saturday: 1 Tm 6:13-16; Ps 100:1b-5; Lk 8:4-15
Sunday: Is 55:6-9; Ps 145:2-3, 8-9, 17-18; Phil 1:20c-24, 27a; Mt 20:1-16a
Saints & Special Observances
Sunday: Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time; Catechetical Sunday
Tuesday: St. Januarius
Wednesday: Ss. Andrew Kim Tae-gŏn, Paul Chŏng Ha-sang, and Companions; Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year 5778) begins at sunset
Thursday: St. Matthew
Friday: Autumn begins
Saturday: St. Pius of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio)
Padre Pio’s Sacred Heart Novena Prayer
O my Jesus, You have said: “Truly I say to you, ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you.” Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of (here name your request). Our Father … Hail Mary … Glory Be … Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in You.
O my Jesus, You have said: “Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in My name, He will give it to you.” Behold, in Your name, I ask the Father for the grace of (here name your request). Our Father … Hail Mary … Glory Be … Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in You.
O my Jesus, You have said: “Truly I say to you, heaven and earth will pass away but My words will not pass away.” Encouraged by Your infallible words I now ask for the grace of (here name your request). Our Father … Hail Mary … Glory Be … Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in You.
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us miserable sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of You, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, Your tender Mother and ours.
Say the Hail, Holy Queen and add: “St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.”