READINGS:2 Samuel 12: 7-10. 13   /   Psalm 32: 1-2. 5. 7. 11   /   Galatians 2: 16. 19-21   /  LUKE 7: 36 – 8: 3 

HIS WORD…TWO PEOPLE WERE IN DEBT TO A CERTAIN CREDITOR; ONE OWED FIVE HUNDRED DAYS’ WAGES AND THE OTHER OWED FIFTY. SINCE THEY WERE UNABLE TO REPAY THE DEBT, HE FORGAVE IT FOR BOTH. WHICH OF THEM WILL LOVE HIM MORE? …YOU HAVE JUDGED RIGHTLY.

my words…Brothers and Sisters, we have heard many times the familiar saying, “To err is human, and to forgive is divine.”This powerful dictum is indeed pregnant with meanings; that our sinfulness is born out of our human weaknesses, but forgiveness is born out of God’s loving generosity to forgive. To forgive therefore is a divine act in us. And the gracious effect: Forgiveness liberates us from psycho-emotional and spiritual maladies of life.

In the first reading of today, God has forgiven David, the great King of Israel of his adultery. The responsorial psalm echoes the readiness of God to forgive the wrongs we did. In the second reading, the Son of God who has loved us so much has given up himself for us for the forgiveness of our sins. And in the gospel, Jesus forgives the sinful woman because of her great love. All the four readings in today’s liturgy present to us that God is indeed a loving and forgiving God. Thus, to forgive is indeed a divine action.

Brothers and Sisters, nowadays there are still some Catholic Christians who would say, “Why do I have to go to Confessions? I have no sins! What will I have to confess?” Brothers and Sisters, the greatest SIN a person has is when he believes that he has not committed any “sins” at all! And the one dictating him that he has not sinned is PRIDE. And we know that the sole author of “pride” is Satan. So let us not be enslaved to Satan… Let us be humble always to admit that we are sinners. Humility is the way of Christ. Christ had shown us the greatest example how to forgive… when the Lord Jesus said to Peter regarding his inquiry on how many times he must forgive, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times…” (Mt 18:21-22) = which means forgiveness is unlimited, infinite, no quantification, no counting. Why? Jesus qualifies forgiveness because God is so generous with us! In today’s gospel, Jesus forgives the woman because she has shown great love by doing a royal foot spa to the Messiah. Jesus forgives the 3 denials of Peter because Peter professed that he loved the Lord more than all these also 3 times (Jn 21:15-17). Love therefore heals all sins. Love empowers the act of forgiveness.

Brothers and Sisters, if God can readily forgive, why can’t we? The usual barrier of our “unforgiveness” is our “closed mind” borne of high pride as orchestrated by Satan. So let us not be governed by Satan; let us be ready to forgive because in forgiveness God is acting in us. Forgiveness can solve a lot of problems, legal and/or casual. Forgiveness can heal a person spiritually and physically. Forgiveness is a divine act in us!

SO LET US BE READY TO FORGIVE… AND GOD FORGIVES US TOO…  (By Fr. Julius C. Lupot)