Homily for the Week of September 11, 2011

Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, 9/11/11

Ecclesiasticus 27,30 - 28,7

Psalm 102,1-2.3-4.9-10.11-12

Romans 14,7-9

Matthew 18,21-35

Patriot Day is observed every September 11 to mark the anniversary of the terrorist attacks against the United States. The date falls on a Sunday in 2011, and this year’s observance commemorating the 10th anniversary of the attacks will be a cause of much reflection and remembrance.

Today’s Bible readings offer an uncomfortable, but clear challenge to us on this anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks: the challenge of forgiveness.

The first reading from the Book of Sirach reminds us to release or turn over to the Lord our anger and desire for vengeance, for it is God’s role, not ours, to punish those who have done evil. We are not to be vengeful; we are to forgive. “The vengeful will suffer the Lord’sˆvengeance, for he remembers their sins in detail,” Sirach writes. But as for us, we must forgive: “Forgive your neighbor’s injustice; then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven.”

It is important to remember, however, that forgiving another does not mean absolving them of responsibility. To forgive another is to confirm that they have done wrong and are in need of forgiveness. Mercy does not cancel out justice or the need for conversion, but it does open up a path of charity that encourages and promotes conversion and justice. For the Catholic in the world, we live in mercy and we long for justice, but we entrust final justice always to God. As long as we believe in the power and mercy of God, we always hope for this.

Note that the reason given for why we should forgive, is that none of us are free of sin and guilt. We are all sinners, we have all done wrong. Yet, God forgives us, and so we must forgive others. God treats us with forgiveness, love and compassion, and we must do the same. As we pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

Again in the Gospel, the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, we hear the story of the master forgives the servant of his debt. The message is that God forgives us not because we deserve it, but because God is merciful. Yet, when that servant does not extend the same forgiveness to others, he gets himself into trouble, for he has not acted toward others the way the master acted toward him. We are called to forgive those who sin against us. Peter’s asks Jesus, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus answers, “Not seven times but seventy-seven times” .

We have probably heard this instruction many times and we can sometimes take it for granted. It may be easy to apply to everyday situations: I will forgive you for leaving your dishes in the sink, being late to pick me up, forgetting my birthday, etc. But in fact, these everyday situations are ultimately about developing an attitude of forgiveness that can define our lives. Without that kind of attitude, what will we do about the really difficult situations in life:

…the spouse who cheats;

…how about the priest who abuses a child;

…the murderer on death row;

…the terrorists who plotted and carried out the attacks on September 11, 2001?

Our inclination may be simply to say that some things are too terrible to forgive. Certainly, it is only human that we must often go through a period of anger, bitterness, and mourning.

But there is great wisdom in Jesus’ words about forgiveness. Our human experience tells us that when we hold on to anger and hatred, it eats away at us. It can begin to change us and make us into persons we never wanted to be. In some ways, forgiveness frees the one who forgives from carrying that burden. We can let it go and entrust the other to God who is better able to deal with them.

Jesus is not urging us simply to be passive in the face of evil. We must still work to protect the innocent and to hold those who perpetrate crimes against humanity accountable. Forgiveness requires that we address the situation in a positive and loving way, instead of with fear and hatred.

This may be a hard message to hear, but Jesus’ words today are challenging us in a big way. When something that is dearest to us has been attacked, how will we respond? The Gospel challenges us to consider what a Christian response might be. Our response will have long-lasting implications on us as persons and as a society.

Remember, forgiveness does not mean doing nothing. We can pray, teach, engage in dialogue, and urge our leaders to work together for peace and to eliminate injustice. Our first responsibility on this anniversary is to pray for those who died in the 9/11 attacks. We must continue to pray for every family that lost loved ones. We must pray for every member of the military who has died in the war on terror and for their families as well.

Our second responsibility is to welcome the irony that the Bible readings given to us on 9/11 are about forgiveness. Given this contrast, we might be reminded that to live by our principles is our first and best weapon against evil.