Thursday – 19th Week in Ordinary Time

Gospel – Matthew 18:21– 19:1

Fool Me Once, Fool Me Twice

Sunset in Galilee

 

So there is this one person in my life who, in spite of every effort, continues to test my patience.  They lie and they cheat; they say one thing and never follow through.  They constantly disappoint me!  They keep making mistake after mistake and then come to me looking for forgiveness and another chance.  Where is my breaking point?  Is there a breaking point?  

It’s hard enough to forgive someone once but what if they constantly hurt us, lie to us, apologize and then go and do it again and again?  We have all been there and it always hurts and makes us question – why should I bother to forgive? 

Today’ Gospel picks up right from yesterday’s reading – forgive!  Confront the person who hurt you and help them to change.  And today Peter jumps in, like always, and asks the question we are all silently asking.  How many times do I have to do this?  How many times do I have to forgive?  Seven?  No, seventy-seven times; essentially our response must be to forgive ALWAYS!

Seriously?  After all times they betrayed me, after all the times they turn around and repeat the same mistake?  Seriously?  Yes, seriously!  God reminds us He is a God of compassion and mercy, a loving parent, like the father in the Prodigal Son!  Maybe we should turn the question around.  How many times do you want to be forgiven?  After all the times we mess up, all the times we stumble and fall, how many times should we be forgiven?  Do we really want a limit?

Some of you might say – why don’t I just let that person in my life go?  It’s too much trouble! cut my losses and move on!  Well, it’s not that easy!  This person is an integral part of my life and there is no way to ignore them, much less cut them loose.  You see, that person is ME!  Aren’t we all in the same boat?  Don’t we all find it difficult to forgive ourselves?  Face it, we tend to see the worst in ourselves – I’m no good, I always mess up, I will never get it right!  Sound familiar?  Maybe forgiveness starts at home!

Maybe the first step in forgiving others is learning to forgive ourselves!  We need to recognize the good in ourselves and remember that we all stumble and fall.  But with the love and forgiveness of God, with His compassion and mercy, we all have the ability to get back up and move forward!

Great Spirit, I am so grateful that you are always here with me, guiding me and protecting me even when I falter and doubt myself and others.  Give me strength today to see the best in others and in myself, to see your presence in all those around me and to act with compassion and kindness towards all my brothers and sisters.

 

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