SIN HAPPENS! 

FORGIVENESS TAKES 

AN EFFORT

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 32 Monday in Ordinary Time is, “Sin Happens!  Forgiveness Takes An Effort.”

Both readings for today point out that sin happens - mistakes are made - even by those in charge. [Cf. Titus 1:1-9]

Both readings point out the call for not sinning - especially not giving bad example to the little ones. [Cf. Luke 17:1-6]

The gospel points out the call to forgive. Now forgiveness is work. Forgiveness takes effort. It doesn’t just happen.

Sin silently and slowly happens - like water becoming hard ice cubes in the freezer part of our refrigerator. I was going to say, “Forgiveness is like filling up the ice cube trays. That’s one of those things that people seem to avoid. It’s more like a chore. However, the image and or simile limps when compared to the image of ice becoming ice cubes. Maybe comparing forgiveness is more like defrosting a freezer. That calls for effort and moving things around.

Today’s gospel has the number 7 in it - as in forgiving 7 times if 7 times are called for. It’s a number that appears with the theme of  forgiveness in the gospels. It must have been something Jesus said, because we find it in a couple of forms.

FORGIVENESS AND SIN:  SOME GENERALIZATIONS

We know what sin is and what forgiveness is - so I have nothing new to say. Let me toss out a few common thoughts about both - clichés and other wise comments.  Maybe one thought will trigger some thoughts in you - where you need to look at both sin and forgiveness.

Sin is tricky. Sin is at times, an, “It all depends.”

For some people, it’s easier to forgive our sins than to forgive others their sins.

For some people, it’s easier to forgive others their sins - than it is for us to forgive us our sins.  As priest I know that some people can’t let go of some sins from the past. It’s like having an expensive car - but then there’s that scratch. It scratches us every time we see it.  It’s like getting that ticket 27 years ago - and we still keep it on our record.  Bummer. Hint! Hint! The sin of pride might have snuck tagged along with a past sin - just to keep us humble. The sin of pride is a sneaky and becomes part of our repertoire of inner secrets.

So I’m seeing that one of the things I’m saying here is: “For different reasons,  it’s easier to sin that to forgive sin.”

Forgiveness is a choice - usually more of a choice than the choice to sin.

Forgiveness and sin - both are complex.

Then there is the sin of anger. Besides pride, anger is often part of the complexity of sin.

Sometimes the anger is directed at ourselves - for being so stupid.

Sometimes the anger is with others - because of sins against us. We’ve been hurt, accused, bullied, made fun of, been cheated on, by others.

So expect anger. It’s part of our story. To be human is to have anger issues in our life.

Anger can be heavy at times.

So anger and pride and not wanting to communicate are come alongs with sin. They are some of the quirks of being a human being.

FORGIVENESS TAKES TIME

Forgiveness is a choice.

Forgiveness takes work.

Forgiveness takes faith - which starts like a mustard seed - which starts with prayer.

Sometimes sins can be dumped in the sea like a mulberry tree - the one Jesus talked about in today’s gospel. We also heard about a mustard seed - so Jesus uses both these images. To me they are mixed up a bit in today’s gospel. We can forgive him - or whoever is doing the reporting of what Jesus actually said.

Forgiveness - most of the time - is a scar - and scars show us where we’ve been healed - as well as hurt - and we can scratch them in anger - or touch them and say a prayer of praise or sorrow about what happened and we moved on.

CONCLUSION

Today - November 12 - is the feast of St. Josaphat [c.1580-1623] - who is a witness to a long standing cut in Christian Churches - between the East and the West - with those united to Rome and those who aren’t.

Josaphat was axed - bludgeoned to death - by one Christian group with another.

From time to time the Eastern Uniate and Eastern Orthodox parts of our church - along with Rome and other groups - sit down to talk. It seems Jesus call for us to be united gets to folks. Both sides have to give. Both sides need to forgive and forget.

John XXIII had some of that in mind with Vatican II - more is needed. Time.

In the future expect calls for unity and signs of disunity.

However, life is déjà vu.  Expect fits and starts, failures and refusal to listen to each other.

I like the Truth and Reconciliation Model that was used in South Africa - it has worked at times. I like The Forgiveness Project in Cambodia. It too has worked at times. Check those 2 out on Google.

Sin happens. Forgives can happen, but it takes an effort and it takes time.