DAILY HOMILIES #forgiveness

Prayer is not one-way traffic. We ask God because we are His children, and by asking Him, we also declare that we live according to His instructions. Sin destroys our relationship with God. When we pray, we should have complete confidence in God. At the same time, our prayer must affect the kind of life we live. If we beg from God, we must not forget that others are begging from us; others who need our charity; others who need our forgiveness; and others who need us to intercede for them, just as Abraham did for Sodom and Gomorrah.

While sending his disciples to preach, Jesus told them they were like sheep amid wolves. This meant that they were going to face all kinds of persecution. In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus tells them not to be afraid: “Have no fear of them; for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.” (Matthew 10:26). We are not to be scared because whatever secrets plan our enemies have against us will indeed be exposed.

Today, Jesus wants us to know He is more pleased with our reconciliation with others than our offerings. Just as our gifts to God are expensive, forgiveness is also costly. Forgiving others can be painful if the person refuses to acknowledge their fault. However, this pain is worth it because it is pleasing to God and it purifies our hearts from unnecessary burdens.

When we go for confession, God forgives our sins and washes us so that we can confidently say we become new creatures. God does not remember our sins because the moment we offload them at the confessional, our old self dies, and we leave as newborn babies. Just as you cannot accuse an infant of sin, God no longer accuses us of the sins that we have dropped at the confessional. Never be too shy to go to confession; it is not the priest who forgives us, but Jesus Christ who gave the priest the power to retain or absolve sins in His name.

No matter how bad your situation seems, always have a positive attitude. Trust that God is giving you the best for now and that He is leading you somewhere. Good days bring memories, bad days teach lessons, worst days bring endurance. No matter how painful your experiences are, learn to look at the bright side.

No matter what your past has been, as Micah says today, God will forgive your sin (Cf. Micah 7:18-20). The only time God will not forgive is when we refuse to ask for forgiveness. This is known as despair (the belief that God cannot forgive).

We often find it difficult to forgive others because we think we are guiltless. When you listen to two people quarrelling, each thinks the other person is a devil. Forgiveness begins with an honest examination of my conscience. If I had noticed the log in my eye, I would have seen that I could have avoided the problem or prevented it from escalating.

Again, the fact that “everybody is doing it” does not mean that God is not offended by it. Do not take God’s mercy for granted. Jesus says that on that day, many would go about their daily routines, eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building, and so on, and judgment would happen like a surprise. Then, we would all face the consequences of our actions.

Since there are no perfect humans, and Jesus says divorce is not an option, how can couples find joy in marriage? The answer is forgiveness. Forgive quickly. St. Paul would say: “Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.” (Ephesians 4:26-27). If couples learn to forgive each other seventy times seven times, marriages would be blissful.

Why did this woman refuse to give up? What made her pass Jesus’ test? This is a woman who has suffered in the past. She knew that pride wouldn’t get you anything. Learn to be humble. Don’t interpret everything as an insult; you never can tell if the so-called insult is just a test. Maturity begins when you start seeing insult as education. No matter how highly placed you think we are, there will always be someone with something you lack. Never look down on anyone.

God hears our prayers because He loves us, not because we use many words. For instance, can you compare the length of Elijah’s prayer with that of the prophets of Baal when God sent down fire to consume the burnt offerings? Do not let anyone make you believe that you haven’t prayed unless you sweat. Ensure that every word you utter is meaningful.

The message for you today is: “Rise.” Don’t stay down. Rise! Your sufferings are not a sign of weakness on the part of God. Keep trusting in God. Very soon, your eyes will see, and your mouth will testify that God never sleeps nor slumbers and never turns His back on His children.