Monday of the Thirty-send Week in Ordinary Time
(Titus 1:1-9; Luke 17:1-6)
“I’ve told you a million times…” our mothers used to begin a
scolding. Of course, they didn’t mean
literally a million times, just repeatedly.
We have to understand Jesus’ command in today’s gospel in this vein. He doesn’t literally mean that a person
should be forgiven literally seven times in the same day for offending another.
But he wants his disciples to be ready to forgive when the offender makes a
sincere apology.
A corollary issue of this gospel is whether the offender must
ask forgiveness. In practice the Church
has insisted upon confession of serious sins before absolution is granted. Yet many today claim the necessity to forgive
even if the offender doesn’t care about having done wrong. It seems that out of love of enemy, the
offended should pray that the offender seeks pardon. However, forgiveness should be rendered when
it is sought. For sure, the offended
party should avoid revenge or enmity toward the offender.
Even to pray for an offender requires great faith. For this reason, the disciples ask for its
increase. But forgiving our enemies is
no marginal issue. As it is at the
center of the Our Father, it is central to our allegiance to Christ because it
concerns love of enemies.
