DAILY HOMILIES #forgive

John the Baptist speaks in the present tense: “Even now, the axe is laid to the root of the trees… his winnowing fork is in his hand…” Meaning “now is the time; the harvest has begun already.” Live your life like someone who knows that death is just around the corner.

This is heaven – loving our neighbors as ourselves. This is heaven – forgiving one another without counting the cost. This is heaven – seeing the face of Jesus in the people who have offended you like Onesimus. This is heaven – welcoming the earth’s rejected, the sick, the imprisoned, the orphans, giving to these little ones as much as a cup of water without expecting anything in return. The joy we feel when we help others sincerely is a foretaste of the joy of heaven.

Can you imagine what our world would look like if God answered such prayers? Be careful of the type of prayer you utter when you are angry. Avoid the error of James and John. Jesus taught us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. On the cross of Calvary, Jesus gave us an example by praying for forgiveness (not consuming fire) for those who killed him.

Has the past been painful? Then why are you still holding on to it?

Your marriage will succeed, when you learn to judge yourself rather than judging your partner; when you learn to admit your faults and say: “I am sorry.”

If in the course of this week or sometime in the future, God gives you an opportunity to revenge on what your enemy did (or is still doing) to you, what would you do? Crush them with delight or show to them the kindness that they refused to show to you when they had the chance?

Compared to what we owe God, that which others owe us is nothing! Think of the worst thing anyone has done to you for whom you strongly believe he or she does not deserve to be forgiven. Does it occur to you that God has already forgiven you for a greater offence than that?

So, how do we win quality souls for God’s kingdom? Our three readings today speak in favour of love; loving without discrimination, loving our enemies and loving others just as Jesus loved us.

It surely makes a lot of sense to revenge on the wrongs done to us by others, to teach them a lesson or to show them that we are not to be toiled with. This is often the message in all our action movies – it is the wisdom of the world. However, as Christians, Jesus expects us to operate with a higher level of wisdom; one that sounds foolish to the world, a wisdom that forgives, that turns the other cheek after receiving a slap, a wisdom that says: “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

Jesus began today’s Gospel passage by saying “unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Forgiving others is one way of practising righteousness that exceeds that of the Pharisees. No wonder they say, “to forgive is divine.” Those who truly forgive are living saints.