How many times is seventy times seven?

Good News Reflection
Thursday of the Nineteenth Week of Ordinary Time
August 12, 2010

Today's Readings:
Ezek 12:1-12
Ps 78:56-59,61-62
Matt 18:21--19:1
http://www.usccb.org/nab/081210.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_08_12.mp3

How many times is seventy times seven?

Peter speaks for each one of us in today's Gospel reading when he says, "HOW many times am I supposed to forgive the jerk who keeps sinning? After seven times, if he's still a jerk, what's the point in forgiving him again?"

"No, not seven times," Jesus says, "seventy times that much, which, according to the calculator on my Father's desk in heaven, is infinite."

We'd rather only forgive people if they "go and sin no more." But waiting for their repentance is harmful to us. When we choose to pray "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they're doing," we break the chains of anger that bind us to what they did. We're no longer a victim of the incident that hurt us. The wounds of our heart and spirit are healed, because we receive directly from Jesus the love that was supposed to come from those who sinned against us.

Forgiveness, like love, is a decision, not a feeling. It begins with an honest prayer: "Father, I don't want to forgive them, but I choose to forgive them. I ask You to forgive them, too. And please forgive me for holding onto my resentment, anger or bitterness." Did you realize you're already praying this whenever you recite the "Our Father." Jesus taught us to pray, "Father, forgive us as we forgive others." He did NOT add, "Unless, of course, they don't want to stop sinning."

Who is the person in your life who is hardest to forgive? Most likely, the answer is YOU. If you cannot forgive yourself, you won't feel safe forgiving others. How readily do you forgive yourself? As readily as God does? Take this quiz to find out:

* Do I ever get angry at myself and take more than a day to feel good about myself again?

* Do I try to cover up my blunders with lies or by redirecting the focus off of myself?

* Do I get defensive when someone indicates that I'm not a perfectly good person?

* Do I blame others even when I am responsible?

* Do I believe that if people get to know me well enough, they won't like me any more?

* Do I examine my conscience only rarely?

* When I realize I have sinned, do I doubt that God forgives me?

* Is this quiz making me feel uncomfortable?

If you answered yes to even one of these questions, you do not forgive yourself as readily as God forgives you. If you answered yes to most or all of them, you have a major problem with self esteem and need spiritual and/or psychological counseling. You are a great candidate for God's healing love!

© 2010 by Terry A. Modica
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