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Appleton, WI

Sep 13 Homily Connect: Mercy and Forgiveness

Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, September 13, 2020

SIR 27:30-28:7   ROM 14:7-9, MT 18:21-35

Scripture

At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’ Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan. 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.’ Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ But he refused. Instead, he had the fellow servant put in prison until he paid back the debt.

What’s the Difference?

  • The New American Bible does not give you the actual amount the Master forgave
  • The New Revised Standard Version Bible says it is 10,000 talents
  • Ten thousand talents is equal to 60 million day’s worth of work in Jesus’ time
  • In today’s terms at $25.00 an hour it would be $3 billion dollars

The Point

  • YOU AND I ARE DEBTORS
  • THE LORD’S MERCY IS BEYOND OUR IMAGINATION

Who We Are

  • We are saintful sinners and sinful saints
  • Our attitudes and behaviors put a strain on our relationship with God and each other
  • We miss the mark everyday of our lives
  • Sin is the falling short of God’s hopes and dreams for us

Who the Lord Is

  • One who never stops loving and forgiving us
  • Gives us a second, third or seventy-seventh chance
  • He hears our pleas and cries for his help to be a better person
  • His heart bursts open and gushes with mercy

What They Say

  • Fr. Thomas Merton reminded his monks at the monastery in Kentucky that the Lord’s mercy is mercy within mercy within mercy
  • Pope Francis reminds us that the face of God is Mercy

Back to the Debtor

  • He was given a new lease on life-$6 billion dollars forgiven
  • Something terribly wrong with this debtor
  • He was forgiven so much yet blocked forgiveness from flowing outward
  • His mean spiritedness-unsettling – inability to pay mercy forward

Our Obligation

  • To pass mercy on to those we may be struggling with
  • Remembering the Our Father…Forgive us our trespasses as we…
  • Pope Francis – we must move forward with dignity and respect for all
  • Plead with the Lord to remove desire for revenge or the need to hold a grudge
  • Joyfully receive forgiveness and pass on forgiveness

Questions for Reflection

  • What impacted you from today’s Readings and/or Homily?
  • Have you experienced God’s mercy in your life?  What was that like for you?
  • Is there someone to whom you need to extend the Lord’s mercy?
  • What makes it difficult for you?

Live Connected

  • Prayerfully consider someone that needs your mercy.  Make a plan to extend your forgiveness to them.