Homily: November 11, 2024, Monday of the thirty-second week in ordinary time (Frogive)

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 And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."

Do you think your faith needs to be increased too?

In which area of our faith do we need our Lord’s help to increase or strengthen?

If we read today’s Gospel again, we will notice that Jesus is teaching about forgiveness. The forgiveness He is teaching is not so simple, it is not superficial, it is not condescending, it is true forgiveness.

Have you forgiven somebody before – someone who has hurt you deeply, betrayed you, caused you harm or even almost destroyed your life?

It is not easy, it is tough. For some of us, it is possibly impossible to even forgive once, and here our Lord is telling us to forgive repeatedly, every time, if someone offends us seven times a day and says sorry again and again.

Can you do it?

I don’t think I can. Not with my own strength, wisdom or patience. But with the grace of God, with the help of the Holy Spirit, I believe I can, I believe you can. The Christian life is after all a call to live and love like our Lord. If He tells us to forgive seven times a day, I am sure He will grace us to do it. But we must first want it and this is the biggest challenge.

Our pride and ego refuse to forgive. We want to hold on to the grudge and remember forever the offense, to keep the anger for the injustice caused, we want to remind our offender that we are still badly hurt, so that we can continue to blame and find ways to punish the person who offended us.

Truly, we know we are punishing no one but ourselves. By not forgiving, we are never at peace with ourselves, and never be at peace with God.

Forgiveness is a central message in Jesus’ teaching. In the Lord’s prayer, He taught us: ‘forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us’. This means if we do not forgive others, we will not be able to receive God’s forgiveness, because our hearts are hardened.

To forgive as Jesus forgives is a special grace, one that is possible only through great faith. If we are struggling to forgive someone in our lives, let us ask not just for the strength to forgive, but also ask for an increase in our faith.

If we have faith in God, if we believe that God will right every wrong, that He is the ultimate judge of everyone and everything, then we will not bear any grievances, any offence, any grudge.

There is a nice saying, “If God didn’t forgive sinners, heaven would be empty.”

We are forgiven, let us also forgive. Lord, increase our faith. Amen.


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