Written Homily

 ST. Barnabas Catholic Church, 09/17/23, Yr A, 24th  Sun Ord. Time, Matt 18: 21 – 35
 THIS WEEKS GOSPEL IS BASED ON THE PARABLE OF THE “UNMERCIFUL SERVANT” AND,,, IT’S LESSON FOR US,,, TO LEARN ABOUT; FORGIVING OTHERS,,, AS WE ARE FORGIVEN!
 BUT BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT FORGIVENESS,,, LET ME TELL YOU A BRIEF STORY: “ONCE UPON A TIME,,, A YOUNG BOY NAMED RALPHY,,, WAS SAYING HIS NIGHTTIME PRAYERS,,, AND AS HE WENT DOWN THE LIST OF HIS FAMILY,,, ASKING GOD TO BLESS THEM,,, ONE BY ONE,,, HIS MOTHER NOTICED,,, THAT HE HAD SKIPPED OVER HIS BROTHER TOMMY’S NAME.
 HIS MOM ASKED HIM: “RALPHY,,, WHY DIDN’T YOU PRAY FOR TOMMY?”
 RALPHY REPLIED: “I’M NOT GOING TO ASK GOD TO BLESS TOMMY,,, BECAUSE,,, HE HIT ME!”
 HIS MOTHER SAID: “DON’T YOU REMEMBER,,, JESUS SAID YOU MUST FORGIVE YOUR ENEMIES?”
 RALPHY SAID: “THAT’S JUST THE PROBLEM!  TOMMY’S NOT  MY ENEMY,,, HE’S MY BROTHER!”
 (PAUSE)
 NOW,,, I CAN IMAGINE,,, THAT MANY OF US,,,WILL BE ABLE TO RELATE,,, TO WHAT PETER WAS ABOUT TO GO THROUGH,,, IN OUR GOSPEL LESSON TODAY.    
 TODAY’S GOSPEL LESSON,,, BEGINS WITH PETER ASKING JESUS A QUESTION!
 “LORD,,, IF MY BROTHER SINS AGAINST ME,,, HOW OFTEN MUST I FORGIVE?  AS MANY AS SEVEN TIMES?” - THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A VERY GENEROUS ACT IN THOSE DAYS,,, BECAUSE,,, AS GOD FINISHED HIS WORK OF CREATION,,, ON THE SIXTH DAY,,, HE   RESTED ON THE SEVENTH DAY! SO,,, SEVEN WAS A PERFECT NUMBER! SO,,, PETER THOUGHT THAT HE WAS BEING VERY GENEROUS,,, OFFERING TO GO THAT FAR,,, BUT JESUS’ ANSWER,,, WENT A GREAT DEAL FURTHER!
 HE SAID; TO FORGIVE,,, SEVENTY-SEVEN TIMES!  THIS WAS NOT A PRECISE NUMBER,,, BUT AT THE TIME,,, IT WAS THE LARGEST NUMBER THAT COULD BE ENVISIONED AND,,, IT DOES NOT PUT A LIMIT ON FORGIVENESS,,, RATHER,,,   IT MAKES ITLIMITLESS!
 JESUS IS MAKING THE POINT,,, THAT: AS MANY TIMES AS A PERSON NEEDS TO BE FORGIVEN,,, WE ARE TO FORGIVE AS WE HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN!
 LETS TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT FORGIVENESS WHAT WE MEAN BY IT AND WHAT JESUS MEANS BY IT!
 OFTEN,,, PEOPLE FORGIVE WITH THEIR MOUTHS,,, BUT THEN,,, YOU MAY HEAR COMMENTS LIKE: “WELL,,, I HAVE FORGIVEN,,, BUT,,, I JUST CAN’T FORGET,,, OR,,, PERHAPS A NEW ARGUMENT,,, BRINGS BACK COMMENTS LIKE; “WELL,,, YOU DID THIS  OR THAT TO ME,,, LAST YEAR”  AND THE HURTS ARE ONCE AGAIN,,, AIRED OUT,,, FOR OTHERS TO HEAR. BROTHERS AND SISTERS,,, IS THIS FORGIVENESS???? AND WHAT DOES JESUS TELL US OF FORGIVENESS?
 IN (HEBREWS 8: 12),,, JESUS SAYS: “FOR I WILL FORGIVE THEIR WICKEDNESSS AND WILL REMEMBER THEIR SINS NO MORE.”
 THIS IS WHAT TRUE FORGIVENESS IS,,, THE FORGIVENESS WE GIVE TO ANOTHER FROM OUR HEART,,, RELEASES THAT HURTFUL PERSON AND THE HURT.  THIS IS NO LONGER JUST EMPTY WORDS FROM OUR MOUTHS,,, BUT TRUE FORGIVENESS!
 JESUS SHOWED US HIS TRUE LOVE,,, WHILE HANGING ON THE CROSS,,, HE SAID: “FATHER,,, FORGIVE THEM,,, FOR THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING”.
 BROTHERS AND SISTERS,,, IF JESUS CAN SHOW SUCH FORGIVENESS,,, TO BE ABLE TO SAY “FATHER,,, FORGIVE THEM”,,,   TO THE VERY PEOPLE THAT HAD BEATEN HIM,,, SPIT ON HIM,,, JEERED AT HIM,,, AND NAILED HIM TO A CROSS,,, AND LET HIM DIE,,, SUCH A HUMILIATING DEATH.
 THEN,,, IF WE ARE TRULY DISCIPLES OF CHRIST,,,  WE CERTAINLY SHOULD BE ABLE TO FORGIVE ONE ANOTHER,,, FOR THE PETTY THINGS,,, THAT OTHERS DO TO US!
 NOW,,, THIS ISN’T AN EASY INSTRUCTION,,, FOR US TO FOLLOW,,, IS IT?    
 BUT,,, WAS NAILING THE SON OF GOD TO A WOODEN CROSS,,, AS A COMMON CRIMINAL UNFORGIVABLE?
 WELL I ASK YOU,,, WHERE WOULD WE BE TODAY,,, IF GOD COULD NOT FORGIVE US,,, FOR THE DEATH OF HIS OWN SON,,, BECAUSE OF OUR SIN?
 NOW,,, LET’S TAKE A LOOK,,, A BIT CLOSER,,, AT TODAY’S PARABLE.  FIRST OF ALL,,, PARABLES,,, ARE STORIES,,, USING EVERYDAY SITUATIONS,,, TO DESCRIBE SOMETHING SPIRITUAL.    
 IN THIS CASE,,, IT’S ABOUT FORGIVENESS AND HOW WE MUST ACT REGARDING OUR LOVE FOR OUR CHRISTIAN BROTHERS AND SISTERS,,, SO WE CAN ENTER INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
 BUT,,, THESE PARABLES,,, OFTEN END UP,,, WITH A STINGING STATEMENT,,, THAT WE MIGHT NOT LIKE!
 
 THE CHARACTERS IN TODAYS PARABLE,,, ARE; THE KING (GOD),,,   THE FIRST SERVANT,,, WHO OWES A HUGE DEBT; (WE OWE A HUGE DEBT TO GOD) AND,,, THE SECOND SERVANT,,, OWING A SMALL DEBT TO THE FIRST SERVANT (OWING ANOTHER HUMAN BEING IS MINISCULE,,, COMPARED TO WHAT WE OWE GOD).
 THE FIRST SERVANT,,, IS THREATENED WITH BEING SOLD,,, TOGETHER WITH HIS WIFE AND ALL OF HIS POSSESSIONS,,, AS SLAVES,,, IN ORDER TO REPAY THE DEBT.
 BUT THE KING IS LENIENT,,, WHEN HE HEARS THE SERVANTS PLEAS,,, AND KNOWING THE MAN COULDN’T POSSIBLE HOPE TO PAY HIS DEBTS,,, HE CANCELLED THEM ALL. (THIS COULD BE THE EQUIVALENT OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TODAY)    
 SO,,, THE SERVANT WENT OUT,,, FREE,,, NOT ONLY FROM BEING SOLD,,, BUT ALSO FROM THE BURDON OF DEBT!  IMAGINE HIS RELIEF!!!!!
 BROTHERS AND SISTERS,,, THIS IS EXACTLY HOW WE SHOULD BE FEELING,,, HAVING BEEN RELEASED FROM THE BURDEN OF SIN,, COMPLETELY FORGIVEN AND OUR SINS FORGOTTEN.
 YOU WOULD THINK,,, THAT THIS,,, WOULD PUT THAT SERVANT,,, INTO A HAPPY FRAME OF MIND,,, AND AT PEACE WITH EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING.
 BUT,,, NOT HIM,,, HE SEES A FELLOW SERVANT AND GRABS HIM BY THE NECK,,, DEMANDING PAYMENT OF A TINY DEBT OWED TO HIM,,, WHICH WAS NOT EVEN CLOSE,, TO THE HUGE DEBT,,, HE WAS JUST FORGIVEN OF.
 THE FIRST SERVANT,,, WHO WAS FORGIVEN OF SO MUCH,,, REFUSED TO SHOW COMPASSION TOWARDS THE SECOND SERVANT,,, WHO OWED HIM SO LITTLE. SO THE KING,,, HEARING ABOUT THIS,,, HAD THE FIRST SERVANT THROWN INTO PRISON.   
 WE HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN OF EVERYTHING!  WE ARE FREE,,, WITH NO BURDEN,,, AND WE SHOULD BE WILLING TO FORGIVE OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS.
 BECAUSE NOTHING THAT THEY NEED FORGIVENESS FOR,,, AMOUNTS TO A FRACTION OF WHAT WE HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN FOR BY GOD.
 
 
 THE RESULT OF THIS UNMERCIFUL SERVANTS UNFORGIVING HEART,,, WAS,,, THAT WHEN THE MASTER,,, HEARD ABOUT IT,,, HE WAS ANGRY.
 HE HAD HIM THROWN INTO PRISON AND TORTURED,,, UNTIL EVERY BIT OF THE DEBT WAS PAID.
 ORIGINALLY,,, IF YOU WILL REMEMBER,,, THE DEBT THAT HE OWED,,, WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE  MILLIONS OF DOLLARS,,, WAY TOO MUCH,,, FOR HIM TO PAY BACK.    
 BUT NOW,,, HE WAS GOING TO HAVE TO PAY EVERY PENNY OF IT,,, BACK TO THE MASTER,,, ALL BY HIMSELF.
 THE ORIGINAL PUNISHMENT,,, WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH LESS,,, BECAUSE HE,,, AND HIS WHOLE FAMILY AND ALL THEY POSESSED,,, COULD HAVE PAID THE AMOUNT OF THAT DEBT,,, BUT NOW,,, THERE WAS NO HELP AT ALL.
 NOW,,, AS I SAID EARLIER;  HERE COMES THE STING!
 JESUS SAYS,,, LATER ON,,, IN VERSE 23: “THIS IS HOW MY HEAVENLY FATHER WILL TREAT EACH OF YOU,,, UNLESS YOU FORGIVE YOUR BROTHER,,, FROM YOUR HEART”.
 NOW,,, BEFORE YOU PANIC AND SAY,,, “BUT I AM TRYING TO FORGIVE SOMEONE,,, BUT WHAT THEY DID TO ME,,, WAS SO BAD,,, I JUST CAN’T DO IT!   
 GOD IS GRACIOUS AND MERCIFUL!  SO,,, IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH FORGIVING SOMEONE,,, AND YOU KNOW THAT YOU SHOULD FORGIVE,,, AS GOD FORGAVE YOU,,, THEN YOU MUST TAKE IT TO JESUS,,, AND ASK FOR THE GRACE TO BEGIN TO FORGIVE.    
 BROTHERS AND SISTERS,,, PERHAPS YOU NEED,,, JUST A LITTLE HELP WITH THIS!    
 SO,,, LET’S TAKE A MOMENT,,, TO REPEAT WITH ME,,, THIS SHORT PRAYER TO THE LORD,,, FOR THE STRENGTH TO FORGIVE.
 
 PLEASE,,, JOIN IN AND REPEAT AFTER ME:
 
 “OH LORD,,, WE COME TO YOU NOW,,, AND ASK,,, THAT IF THERE IS ANYONE,,, WE KNOW,,, THAT WE SHOULD FORGIVE,,, BUT NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO,,, PLEASE GIVE US THE GRACE TO FORGIVE,,, AND SHOW US HOW TO BEGIN TO FORGIVE”.    IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
 +++ AMEN+++                               (1292) WDS - 6 PGS)