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September 17, 2023: 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time Cycle A
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Well, we’re tuned in to the virtue of forgiveness, again, for the 2nd week in a row. If you recall last week’s Gospel, Jesus gave humanity his Divine system for forgiving the brother or sister who offends us. Go and tell them first, one on one, and if that doesn’t work, bring in 2 or 3 others. If that fails, tell the Church (I’m glad my phone didn’t ring this past week). And, if all else fails, treat them like a Gentile or tax collector. Which does not sound good. There it is.
But, as we know in the life of our Savior, Jesus bypassed all of this, which God can do, by forgiving his accusers and violent-minded men who nailed him to a Cross. The Son of God, in the hardest moment of his 33 years, extended this most holy and most difficult of virtues, forgiving them for what they did. A virtue, by the way, that will not be present or necessary, or even thought of after we make it to heaven.
The virtue of forgiveness is so necessary that it leads us to our natural, everlasting home. God’s forgiveness and mercy extended to us, and, our forgiving others whose intention was to offend us. And with some of the sins out there, we can understand why no virtue is more difficult to extend than this one. But once we arrive at our eternal home, God brings us to his perfection where forgiveness is not necessary. It won’t be needed. But it’s sure needed here.
The virtue of forgiveness this Sunday is about numbers. And how often we are to practice it. Peter asks Jesus a relevant question; it’s not should we forgive our brother or sister, but how often.
How often do I have to swallow my pride; or allow humility to show its beautiful face; or understand and accept how weakness is so much a part of our daily human activity? And then offer someone the virtue of forgiveness as easily, or as much, as I would offer the virtue of generosity to someone in need. Or as often as we would feed the hungry? Or visit the sick?
How many times will I have to forgive Mac Jones this year for losing another football game? I never had to forgive Tom Brady that much. He made forgiveness easy, and almost non-existent, both in the practice of it, and the number of times. That’s what happens when you’re the GOAT.
But there’s Jesus answering Peter, telling Simon that he and his brother Apostles are to be the greatest of all time concerning the virtue of forgiveness. It’s hard enough doing it once, never mind seven, or God forbid 77 times like every spouse has done, which, in Jesus-speak means all the time.
I’ll be the first to tell you I’ve failed at the 77 times approach. But I also know that if I don’t improve at this most difficult virtue, the Kingdom of Heaven will be in my rearview mirror forever. The lack of forgiveness, as I said last Sunday, leads to the lack of heaven. And I don’t want that, for myself or you. I love, more than I can put into words, the great thought that I will be with my Lord and Redeemer in life eternal. May we desire nothing above this in our lives.
Jesus’ answer to Peter about upping the ante on forgiveness, upping the number of times we are to forgive, is a key Christian ingredient to the perfection God calls all of his children to. The Lord knows we’re capable of attaining such perfection through his grace. Regarding this virtue, 77 is perfection.
Are there people who can reach this number with regard to forgiveness? Absolutely! We can find a few of them in Church today.
But it’s not the hard number of 77 that Jesus is teaching here. He’s teaching, rather, a virtuous consistency; a lifestyle; a daily, virtuous practice through awareness of what God desires, and extend it to others.
We offend God when we sin. But every time we go to Confession, and do it properly, truly seeking God’s mercy, we receive his mercy. The slate is clean. There’s no better experience in the world than God cleansing our souls, using one of His 77 times for our good benefit.
The first reading today from Sirach uses a number of ugly words; wrath, anger, vengeance, enmity, death, decay, hate. All squeezed into one short reading. Then the writer of Sirach writes that we are to overlook faults. Maybe because we all have them. Definitely because we are to practice forgiveness when those ugly words are before us.
Maybe attaining this virtuous goal would be to practice a general forgiveness at minimum, once a week. “Lord, I forgive all the people who have hurt me this past week.” Sunday to Sunday. Without football being the reason for it. There are more important things in life than your New England Patriots.
Practice forgiveness once, then twice a week when the once a week becomes a good habit in our Christian makeup. And work toward each day, that 77 number. If so, peace will be at hand, for ourselves and others, and the Kingdom of God will be ours.