Homilies

Jesus gives us little choice here. In no uncertain terms, he is telling us that forgiveness is one task we cannot ignore. If we want to experience forgiveness from God, we must practice the art of forgiveness ourselves. Every time we say the Lord’s Prayer, we make the promise to do so while seeking God’s forgiveness for what we have done or failed to do. Yet lets be honest; that is a promise we fail to keep sometimes. We withhold forgiveness because we want to hurt the person who has hurt us. We nurse a grudge and even though we know wrath and anger are hateful things, as Sirach tells us, we do hug them tightly at times.

Peter thought he was being generous when he offered to forgive his brother seven times. In the Jewish culture, three times was considered sufficient. But Jesus said, “I say to you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” I doubt Jesus expected Peter or anyone of us to keep a tally. Instead he is urging us to forgive others as the need arises, just as our heavenly Father willingly forgives us countlessly.

Teachings on forgiveness occur frequently in the New Testament but we are slow learners. We are to forgive even if the offending party hasn’t repented. And why is that advice so crucial? When we refuse to forgive, we harm ourselves. Think of what such emotions do to our health. I am mindful of that line from Pogo, “We has met the enemy and it is us.”

Refusing to forgive is a form of anger that we hug tightly. Although I am not a psychologist, I venture to say that refusing to let go of anger is usually an issue of pride.

Jesus admonishes us to forgive for good reason; it is the healthy thing to do, both spiritually and psychologically. One person we often have difficulty forgiving is ourselves. We continually beat ourselves up for not measuring up to our expectations. The problem there is also one of pride. If God loves us unconditionally, why do we make it difficult to love and forgive ourselves? Certainly, we should keep working to improve ourselves, to grow in holiness, and learn from our mistakes. That is healthy pride, but we also need to accept the notion that only God is perfect. Beating ourselves up with negative attitudes toward oneself will only hurt us.

None of us can go through life without getting hurt. How do we react when that happens? Responding to each instance of hurt can provide us with an opportunity to grow or they can become a stumbling block in relating not only to others but also to God.  Sometimes we find ourselves unable to forgive.

Part of our inability to forgive might come from confusing forgiveness with its cousins. Forgiveness is not pardon. Nor is forgiveness condoning. We can forgive without approving the misconduct. Forgiveness is not forgetting; some wounds are simply unforgettable. Forgiveness is not the same as reconciliation. We may with great effort forgive the offender but remain unable to be in their presence. Forgiveness is not denial of the incident either. We must acknowledge the offense and not dismiss it. When we forgive, we must also give up our right to resentment and revenge.

Today’s brilliant parable rightly convicts us of our deep-seated tendency to self-righteousness, and we need to be convinced of that. But we should not overlook the parable’s eloquent depiction of Christ’s generosity. He is the king who forgives the huge debt. In the biblical Greek, this amount is quantified as 10,000 talents, an astronomical sum of money, more than all of us together possess.

Through our friendship with Jesus, God is always with us. As Paul tells us in our second reading, “Whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.” This parable tells me that with Jesus, there is no end to the number of second chances we have to be forgiven. The clearest proof of this is the unmistakable gift of the sacrament of reconciliation; something that no other religion in history has ever offered its believers. Through the words spoken by a confessor, we hear words of absolution and forgiveness.

Fortunately for us, our God is a merciful one, willing to cancel our debt of sinfulness but his son reminds us of our obligation to practice the art of forgiveness ourselves if we wish to experience his divine mercy.

The closing words of the gospel are a haunting reminder that we could face the same fate as the servant who was handed over to be tortured if we do not forgive from the heart. As long as we cling to anger in our hearts and look for revenge—against individuals, groups or nations—we choose the torture, which our own hearts inflict on us. We can cling to that torture or we can work for peace.

The focus of our forgiveness should not just be on the person we are forgiving, or the action we are forgiving. The focus of our forgiveness should be on getting back on track with our own lives. We need to move on from our hurts, or we will always be bogged down by our anger.

Five hundred years before Christ, the great Chinese philosopher, Confucius wisely said, “To be wronged is nothing, unless you continue to remember it.”

Judging by the headlines, we live in a world of overwhelming turmoil. Protests continue in several cities. Family members are alienated; neighbors are at odds with one another; there is even animosity within the church. Citizens distrust their governments, nations nurse longstanding grudges and terrorism threatens us all. We can remain silent and do nothing, allowing the unrest to ferment or we can heed the advice found in these readings, which revolve around the themes of sin, repentance, forgiveness and reconciliation.

Ezekiel, the prophet, points out that the prophet’s duty is to warn sinners amongst God’s people to bring them to their senses and make them confront their sinfulness. Prophets hope that sinners will turn from their sinful ways, be forgiven and reconciled with God and their neighbors.

Rarely does any reconciliation process begin with those who have done the harm coming to their senses and seeking forgiveness. The first step, according to Jesus, is for the one who has suffered the hurt to confront the person who has caused it. That is not an easy step for us to take. Few of us do the art of confrontation well.

Instead, when we have been hurt, we are more inclined to share our pain with others through gossip then we are to speak directly to the one who has hurt us. But there will never be peace as long as the one who is hurt allows that hurt to fester and grow by recounting it to others. If the one who was hurt musters the courage to speak to the other, and if the offender has the courage to listen honestly and openly, reconciliation becomes a possibility.

If the one on one approach doesn’t work, resulting in some manner of reconciliation, then Jesus suggests doing the next step. “Take one or two others along with you, so that every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses.”

And if that doesn’t work, then involve the whole community. If that doesn’t work, treat the offender as you would a Gentile or tax collector. (Lest you think Jesus is suggesting that we exclude that person, recall that Jesus often befriended and ate with such people.) He isn’t telling us to punish, shun or excommunicate the sinner but to treat him or her like someone who isn’t yet committed to following the gospel.

I suspect the majority of you have not celebrated the sacrament of reconciliation in a long while. That may be for any number of reasons, but imagine God being the one who is hurt by what you have said, done or failed to do and is now coming to you for reconciliation. Through this much-neglected sacrament, God offers us the opportunity to repent, be forgiven and be reconciled, not only to God but to our faith community as well.

This sacrament is no longer seen as an isolated exclusive means of obtaining forgiveness for one’s sins, but as the source and summit of a whole Christian life of conversion.

In this sacrament, the confessor, after listening to the penitent, offers a penance.  Often I suggest that the penitent say the Lord’s Prayer, then keep the promise made in that prayer. “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” I invite penitents to think of those whom they need to forgive and ask God for the grace to do so. Sometimes I have to remind them that forgive and forget do not mean the same thing. I then urge them to think of anyone whose forgiveness they need for what they have said, done or failed to do and if a name comes to mind to then ask God to give that person the grace to forgive them.

Whenever we say the Lord’s Prayer, we pledge ourselves to participate in the dynamic of repentance, forgiveness and reconciliation. Having experienced forgiveness from God, we have the obligation to extend forgiveness to others, rather than revenge or retaliation. That is part of loving one’s neighbor, which Paul reminds us fulfills the law. Unlike revenge, retaliation or anger, love is the one thing that cannot hurt our neighbor.

Jesus never said we have to like everyone, but he is urging us to love them but what does he mean? So often when we think of love, we think of erotic love, which attracts one person to another, perhaps leading to a lasting marital relationship or philia, the love that binds friends together. But Jesus and Paul are speaking of another kind of love, namely agape; selfless love, which is best demonstrated by respect, compassion and charity toward others. This manner of love overcomes prejudice and hatred. If we really love our neighbor, Paul contends that we would not disobey the commandments. We would not commit adultery, murder, steal or covet another’s property.

In this life, we will never be a perfect community nor be a perfect church, because we will always have the human dimension at work with its imperfections and weaknesses yet in every pardon there is love. As today’s readings suggest, love requires an extraordinary willingness and capacity on our part to forgive others and to help them turn from evil ways. If we truly want salvation for our brothers and sisters, it will be necessary at times to tell them kindly that their errant action is separating them from God. Doing so may not be well received, but love demands that we share our concerns if we are to make this a better world, where the peace of God’s kingdom can be felt.

Imagine how different our world would be if Paul’s advice to Romans, was followed by every Christian. “Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.”

Peter was conforming himself to the mindset of his times so far as what a Messiah was expected to be, namely a military hero, much like King David, who would liberate his native land from the oppressive Romans. When Jesus predicts his pending death for the first time, Peter protested, “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you!”

Undoubtedly, he was startled by Jesus’ harsh reprimand. Jesus uses some of the strongest language found in the gospel, “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” Jesus wasn’t saying Peter was an evil person, but he was saying Peter was doing the work of Satan, tempting Jesus to abandon his mission. Jesus knew the history of God’s people better than Peter and he knew what happened to prophets whose mission had been to preach God’s word, such as Jeremiah whom we heard in the first reading.

Peter reasoned things out the way people of the world would reason, not as God does. Jesus criticizes Peter for failing to understand God’s plan. Like Jeremiah, Jesus delivers an unsettling message. Peter’s angry reaction mirrors that of Jeremiah’s community, which refused to recognize the impending destruction of Judah. His anger also mirrors how even Christians today are resistant to facing reality.

How many of you would agree with this line? “Times have changed, Father. I’m only doing what is perfectly acceptable in our society.” The problem with this worldly logic is that what is perfectly acceptable in our society is not necessarily acceptable to God, who, for example, does not condone immoral behavior that many find to be “perfectly acceptable in our society.”

Such a society finds nothing wrong with hedonism, that is, putting one’s self-indulgence before every other good in life, including respect for others, respect for one’s country, and respect for all life. That so-called “perfect society” is the world of selfishness, a world of pride, a world where God is not wanted or his will is ignored.

In such a society, people want to hear only positive agreeable messages, even when difficult issues need to be addressed and remedied. Paul advises us to be informed thinkers, especially when dealing with critical moral issues.

Jesus cautions, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

A seminary classmate of mine, Mitch Rozanski, was recently installed as the new archbishop of St. Louis. In his homily he said, “Covid-19 is not the only urgent cross facing us today. As a nation and indeed as a Church—we find ourselves still struggling with the scars of systemic racism in our society. This crime against human life and dignity is another no less devastating virus, this one a man-made plague that also isolates us from one another and diminishes the God-given humanity that we must all cherish if we are to be his children.” Archbishop Rozanski then observed, “Our civil discourse these days is not very civil; when a person shares a differing opinion, the tendency to demonize the other, often in deeply personal ways, eclipses any type of dialogue, common ground, or understanding. As Catholics, we need to ask, ‘Where is God in all of this?’”

When we surrender our lives to the author of life, we can break free of the ego-driven trivia and fear that consume so many of our days. As Jeremiah and Jesus demonstrate, the will of God is not always an easy path, which is why many choose to avoid it.

What is God’s will? Do we even consider that question whenever we personally make a moral decision or value judgment? By whose standards do we make our daily choices or react to the prophetic messages we hear that challenge us to deepen our relationship with Jesus Christ? Do we give ourselves time and space to sufficiently pray to become better aware of God’s standards and will?

This is my understanding of Jesus’ invitation when he told his disciples to take up the cross and follow him. He is not demanding a particular lifestyle. He is not requiring us to retreat from the world or take on a monastic lifestyle. He is simply calling us to follow him by living his way of loving others and accepting the human life that comes to us. With the cross, we are God’s holy people, stepping out in faith to follow Christ by resisting the devil. With the cross, we venture forth to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, soothe the suffering, carrying out the many corporal works of mercy. With the cross, we have the divine mandate to speak out against injustice and oppression whenever and wherever we know that to exist. With the cross, we dare to lose our life for the sake of the kingdom and with the cross, we find our real lives, the lives for which God created us, the lives we have been led to embrace since birth: lives of love and service to God and one another.

If there is one passage in scripture that seems to define our Catholic faith, it would be what Jesus said to Peter in this gospel passage. “I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the nether world shall not prevail against it.” He then added, “I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatever you loosed on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Jesus said this after Peter affirmed him as “the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”

Many of us were around when Vatican II ended 55 years ago and witnessed a liturgical revolution that surprised us. The Mass went from Latin to the language of the assembly so they could participate, the altar was turned around, and the Eucharistic fast was reduced down to one hour.

But that wasn’t all that changed. Through its history, the papacy changed as well. The first Vatican council, which met in 1868, defined the pope as being infallible; a dogma of our Church, which states that papal authority is preserved from the possibility of error on doctrine handed down in scripture and tradition. Contrary to what many think, not everything said by the pope is infallible, but since that council, the papacy has achieved an authority and influence never before seen in church history. That certainly has been the case for popes in our lifetime.

When he was pope, John Paul II once said, “In the course of 2000 years, these words, ‘You are Peter’ have been spoken 264 times to the ears and conscience of a fragile and sinful man. Two hundred and sixty four times a new Peter was set at the side of the first one to be the foundation stone of the Church. The last time, it was to me that the promise of Caesarea Philippi was repeated and it is in the office of Peter that I am in your midst. With what message?

“The same one that Peter proclaimed. Peter, ardent but fearful, the friend, the renegade, the penitent, had just received the Holy Spirit. And with the force of the Spirit he proclaims to a Jerusalem full of pilgrims: ‘God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified both Lord and Christ.’

“All that Peter will say up to the last confession on the hill of the Vatican, which crowns that of Caesarea Philippi, is reduced to this sentence: All that the Successor of Peter must say is perhaps contained in these simple words: ‘God made him Lord.’ Fundamentally, it is what the Pope feels: the sweet and urgent duty of proclaiming, wherever he passes, with the power and fervor of one who announces good news.”

The authority of the pope doesn’t belong to the human office holder; it belongs to the office itself and more profoundly to God. By entrusting the keys of the kingdom of heaven to Peter, Jesus in effect was saying that God would give him and his successors the knowledge and authority to act upon his behalf as the head of the community of believers.

266 men have done what Peter did. They served as Bishop of Rome, which put them in the unique position of being the visible head of the Church. In the course of time, many were called upon to settle differences that would arise.

These readings indicate that religious leadership is a sacred trust and that the religious leader appointed by God is accountable to God. Because Shebna didn’t faithfully fulfill his charge, God relieved him of his responsibilities and gave them to Eliakim. He placed the key of the House of David upon his shoulder.  Likewise, centuries later, Jesus placed the keys to the kingdom of heaven upon Peter’s shoulders and that of his successors. Peter’s responsibility wasn’t managerial; it was juridical. His task was to interpret the law for the rest of the faith community.

Many popes have donned the mantle of prophet, proclaiming clearly and constantly the truth that saves and the values that matter. To put it theologically, Pope Francis as the 266^th successor to Peter is literally a chip off the old rock, today’s successor of the original rock.

An important role of the Holy Father and the bishops whom he appoints is to preserve the faith of the Church from error. In today’s culture, heavily influenced by secularism and relativism, questions like what Jesus raised in this gospel are often debated and the opinions aired are often not true. For us Christians, truth is not determined by public opinion but by divine revelation.

Every bishop is true head of the Church in his own diocese, holding authority directly from Christ, not as a delegate for the pope. While the pope as bishop of Rome has supreme teaching authority in the Church, every bishop is the chief teacher in his diocese. Together they provide us with what is called the magisterium, the teaching authority of the Church.

This authority has remained intact through twenty centuries of popes, giving the Catholic Church a truly amazing record of unbroken unity of faith, worship and governance, in spite of its members’ many failings. This is the glory of the Church: we don’t get angry or rebellious or lose faith in God or in the church because a particular pope or bishop or pastor doesn’t lean as we do. We accept the human in our Church’s teachings and governance without denying the divine. We respect the divine in the human and accept the human in the divine. And we glory in the mix!

A bit of background to this unusual gospel: Jesus withdrew to a region outside of Israel, where he met a Canaanite woman who pleads for help. At first, he ignores her with the excuse that he was sent “only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But the mother persisted. “Lord, help me.” She and Jesus then enter into a colorful dialogue. His harsh response sounds like a put down but her snappy reply prompts Jesus to commend her, “O woman, great is your faith!”

Maybe the words of Isaiah went through his mind. “Observe what is right, do what is just, for my salvation is about to come, my justice about to be revealed.” Those who seek to be God’s people must act justly and do the right thing. Jesus realized that the Lord’s house would be called a house of prayer for all peoples, including this Canaanite woman.

Jesus’ initial attitude toward this woman was a classic example of bigotry and prejudice. The Canaanites were ancient enemies of the Israelites. What has occurred in our country this summer since the untimely death of George Floyd in Minneapolis is a stark reminder that the threads of bigotry, prejudice and racism are still woven into the fabric of our society despite the progress we have made since the days when segregation prevailed in the Deep South.

At birth, we have no choice about our race, ethnicity, or gender. No one is biased at birth. That isn’t in our genes. Racism, prejudice and bigotry are learned and they can be unlearned just as a file can be deleted from a computer. 

Charles Chaput, a Native American who recently retired as the Archbishop of Philadelphia, once noted, “Racism is a poison of the soul and sadly it is the ugly original sin of our country, an illness that never has fully healed.” Despite the belief we hold that all peoples are created equal, not everyone is treated equally in our country with respect. 

Two weeks ago, I allowed 50 black crosses to be displayed as a sad reminder of that truth. Had any of these young people been Caucasian, I doubt they would have met such a fate. I never expressed support for any protest movement although that is how some parishioners viewed the display. Their negative knee jerk reaction suggests to me that some Christians have yet to honestly live up to the precept God demands of us to love and respect one’s neighbor and view all life as being sacred from birth to natural death.

We have a choice when it comes to treating one another. We can do so civilly or rudely. The manner in which some reacted rudely to the display of crosses with threats to leave the parish did not alter my stance. Those who argue that the church is no place for political issues are sidestepping the real issue, namely, our obligation to treat one another with respect. For me, being political means speaking up for the well being of all peoples. That isn’t the same as politics, which so often fails to do so.

The late Nelson Mandela of South Africa suffered much from the racial tensions that existed there under apartheid. He noted, “ No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”

The world will certainly be a better place if everyone kept in mind the greatest commandment: we are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul and mind and to love our neighbor as ourselves. From that commandment springs forth the golden rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

As pope, St. Paul VI often advised, “If you want peace, work for justice.” Peace will only exist when we properly address the injustice and causes of racism. In his recent statement on racism, Archbishop Etienne noted, “The senseless taking of life defies the fundamental principles of justice, every notion of dignity and the fact that all of our lives are connected. As human beings, we are responsible for each other…. We cannot stand by and not respond to incidents of racism and inhuman treatment of our black brothers and sisters, or anyone else.”

The gospel confronts our tendency to cause conflict by promoting exclusiveness rather than inclusivity. We fail to remember that no seats are reserved in heaven for any particular clientele. Isaiah quoted God, “my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”  If we are hoping to get to God’s house, we must rely on his mercy. Unlike us, God does not discriminate. Instead, God welcomes all who seek his mercy, believe in him, and strive to do his will, regardless of their race, ethnicity, or gender. God will judge us someday by the content of our character, not the color of our skin. We should with open minds follow Jesus’ example as we journey toward our final judgment.

Meanwhile, faith in Jesus Christ calls us to remove our barriers of prejudice. The fathers at Vatican II noted, “With respect to the fundamental rights of the person, every type of discrimination, whether social or cultural, whether based on sex, race, color, societal conditions, language or religion, is to be overcome and eradicated as contrary to God’s intent.” The prophet Micah sums up God’s hope for us in this way, “What does the Lord require of you? To do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God.”