Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A 2023

Title

Releasing others’ Faults

Outline

There is so much anger out there

I see it in the confessional, I see it on social media, I see it constantly - and that is without mentioning politics. And from my counseling training I know how self-destructive they are, not to mention spiritually destructive: “Wrath and anger, these also are abominations, yet a sinner holds on to them.”

“Does anyone nourish anger against another and expect healing from the LORD?” Well we do; a woman comes to a healing Eucharist and in the interview before the Eucharist the priest feels prompted to ask about her relationship with her mother: “I hate her!” was the response.

There many people like this woman, often suffering from results of their anger totally oblivious to the cause of their ailments. I pray for people I see on various media who spew out their anger for the Pope, the Church, their families, and the like unaware of the demons that they are inviting to come and live with them.

But there is a solution:

“Forgive your neighbor the wrong done to you; then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven.” “Remember your last days and set enmity aside; remember death and decay, and cease from sin!”

The solution is not “forgive and forget” for forgetting is not under our control and forgiving needs to be defined.

Peter, who likely knew Sirach as well as rabbinic teaching, thought that he was doing well to more than double the forgiving that was required. Jesus says, “seventy-seven times,” essentially unlimited. For that is how he will forgive.

Now the word for “forgive” is a word for release. It is not saying that no wrong was done, nor that the wrong was no big thing - love for the offender may mean reporting the event to the police and love for others may be helping them keep distance from the offender. It is saying that I will not hold onto it, nor seek vengeance, but that I will release it to God or Jesus, and we know he will deal mercifully (which often makes us not wish to release it).

But, as the parable points out, if we hold onto our demand for our due, we are ignoring how much God has forgiven us and not living like or in the kingdom he has set up.

I know that this is a process - but process we must

Healing takes time, but the effort makes us like God.

My mother had episodes of psychotic anger - perhaps some of it demonic - but somehow I survived because I did not judge her, even if deeper healing came when I could let it all go more fully because I had found another mother in Mary.

I have several times had Christian academic employers who dropped me or fired me without cause or treated me unjustly: I knew scripture so I would eventually make the first forgiveness, which is simply a decision to release to Jesus without any feeling other than obedience on my part. I would have many second forgivenesses when the memory would come up with lots of feelings and I would release it to Jesus - now I use the Jesus prayer or another breath prayer. And I have experience the final forgiveness when I met the person or thought of the memory and realized that the pain and emotions were gone.

That does not mean that I would volunteer to work for them again, but I meet them at a conference or send them sincere birthday greetings.

Because of those experiences I can admit my own sins and marvel at how God could chose such an unworthy man for his purposes. I have given grace by grace and I can therefore enter more deeply into God’s grace for me.

I trust that this is your experience as well; I only wish that I could cram all this (and more) into a session in the confessional - people would experience so much more healing, for they will experience Jesus in forgiveness.

Readings

Catholic Daily Readings 9-17-2023: Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

FIRST READING

Sirach 27:30–28:7

30 Wrath and anger, these also are abominations,

yet a sinner holds on to them.

CHAPTER 28

1 The vengeful will face the Lord’s vengeance;

indeed he remembers their sins in detail.

2 Forgive your neighbor the wrong done to you;

then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven.

3 Does anyone nourish anger against another

and expect healing from the LORD?

4 Can one refuse mercy to a sinner like oneself,

yet seek pardon for one’s own sins?

5 If a mere mortal cherishes wrath,

who will forgive his sins?

6 Remember your last days and set enmity aside;

remember death and decay, and cease from sin!

7 Remember the commandments and do not be angry with your neighbor;

remember the covenant of the Most High, and overlook faults.

Catholic Daily Readings 9-17-2023: Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

RESPONSE

Psalm 103:8a

8 Merciful and gracious is the LORD,

slow to anger, abounding in mercy.

PSALM

Psalm 103:1–4, 9–12

1 Of David.

Bless the LORD, my soul;

all my being, bless his holy name!

2 Bless the LORD, my soul;

and do not forget all his gifts,

3 Who pardons all your sins,

and heals all your ills,

4 Who redeems your life from the pit,

and crowns you with mercy and compassion,

9 He will not always accuse,

and nurses no lasting anger;

10 He has not dealt with us as our sins merit,

nor requited us as our wrongs deserve.

11 For as the heavens tower over the earth,

so his mercy towers over those who fear him.

12 As far as the east is from the west,

so far has he removed our sins from us.

Catholic Daily Readings 9-17-2023: Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

SECOND READING

Romans 14:7–9

7 None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself. 8 For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord; so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For this is why Christ died and came to life, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

Catholic Daily Readings 9-17-2023: Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

John 13:34

34 I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.

GOSPEL

Matthew 18:21–35

21 Then Peter approaching asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. 23 That is why the kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount. 25 Since he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt. 26 At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’ 27 Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan. 28 When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount. He seized him and started to choke him, demanding, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ 29 Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ 30 But he refused. Instead, he had him put in prison until he paid back the debt. 31 Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master and reported the whole affair. 32 His master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. 33 Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?’ 34 Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. 35  So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart.”

Notes

Catholic Daily Readings 9-17-2023: Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2023 | ORDINARY TIME

TWENTY-FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

YEAR A | ROMAN MISSAL | LECTIONARY

First Reading Sirach 27:30–28:7

Response Psalm 103:8a

Psalm Psalm 103:1–4, 9–12

Second Reading Romans 14:7–9

Gospel Acclamation John 13:34

Gospel Matthew 18:21–35

GREEN