Mercy and Forgiveness - Weekday Homily Video

The author, G.K. Chesterton, when asked why he became a Catholic, replied, “To have my sins forgiven.” This quote and today’s readings made me wonder, how many times have God, my family, friends, and others forgiven me since, say, 1970 … allegedly, that’s when I reached the age of reason, though I’m pretty sure I knew right from wrong a year earlier!

It’s one of those questions that, if I knew the answer, I’d be both grateful and embarrassed. But it’s the corollary to this question that today’s gospel deals with: how many times have I forgiven others, and how many times have I refused to forgive?

Recognizing Our Sins

The Old Testament readings and psalms are full of pleading for God’s mercy. In the book of Daniel, Azariah begs God’s compassion on behalf of his people. He cites the covenant, Abraham and Isaac, and the promises God has made to the people, seeking to move God to give them another chance.

It’s reminiscent of my brother and I in our youth making similar appeals to our parents. The difference is Azariah is willing to admit that their national demise is due to their sin. Like Chesterton, there is the admission of sin and the recognition that no prince, prophet, or any sacrifice will work. To get them off the hook, God is their only hope.

Forgiving Others

So, if we are made in the image of God, it stands to reason that we are called to be merciful to each other. From the beginning of time, this has been a challenge. Yes, God can forgive over and over again, but we are not God. Peter asks the question we both want and don’t want to know the answer to: how many times must we forgive?

After a certain age, forgiving someone seven times seems pretty generous unless you're talking about taking the last piece of pizza-level forgiveness. But Jesus raises the bar much higher to seventy-seven times. For you math fans, that’s a thousand percent increase!

Asking for Forgiveness

This is the point that I think most of us struggle with, until we go back to God in two ways. The first is to regularly examine our conscience for the big and small ways we sin, and the second is to seek God’s forgiveness in Confession and also forgiveness from those we have hurt along the way.

It’s when we experience God’s loving mercy that we are able to both ask for forgiveness from others and also to grant it. We don’t want to be the unforgiving servant, and yet it can be hard to forgive all at once. At times, it’s a process; one that takes prayer, encouragement, healing, time, and God’s grace.

The Catechism reminds us “that the heart that offers itself to the Holy Spirit turns injury into compassion … and purifies the memory (in) transforming (the) hurt into intercession” (#2843).

For anyone struggling to forgive another—living or deceased—as we have faith in God’s mercy for us, we also have faith that God will heal and move our hearts to show that same mercy, especially in the most difficult situations.

• Today’s Readings

• Father David's inspirational homily was recorded live during Mass at the Father Peyton Center this morning. Please view the video on our Facebook page. (You don't need a Facebook account to view.) 

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