Posted by The WORD in other words (2006) by an SSpS Sister
Monday 32nd Week in Ordinary Time
A story is told of a young boy who, when asked by his father what he was doing, replied, “Father, I am preparing this coconut shell for you to use as your plate when you grow old, just like the one you gave Grandpa after he had broken some plates.” The boy had seen how his father treated his grandfather, and so he thought that he should do the same.
Children usually learn from what they observe and experience, especially from adults. What a tremendous responsibility it is, then, for us adults to set a good example, not only for children but also for others. We must be careful never to become a stumbling block that leads another person astray. Jesus warns us in today’s Gospel: “Things that cause sin will inevitably occur, but woe to the person through whom they occur” (Luke 17:1).
On the other hand, when someone who has become a stumbling block to us repents and asks for forgiveness, Jesus stresses that we must forgive. He tells his disciples, “If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him” (Luke 17:3).
I was once shocked to hear someone say, “Over my dead body! Never again will I forgive that man.”
The apostles themselves must have found Jesus’ teaching difficult when he said, “If he wrongs you seven times in one day and returns to you seven times saying, ‘I am sorry,’ you should forgive him” (Luke 17:4). Perhaps they realized how demanding such forgiveness could be. Their immediate response was a prayer: “Increase our faith” (Luke 17:5).
Our difficulty in forgiving is a reality. Often, it comes from wounded pride, humiliation, or deep hurt. Our religion teacher in high school taught us this prayer: “Lord, help me to forgive him or her sincerely, just as you have forgiven me.” It reminds us of the prayer Jesus taught his disciples: “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Matthew 6:12).
Let us face it: forgiveness is not always easy, but neither is it impossible. People of heroic hearts have shown us that forgiveness is possible. Above all, Jesus himself, while suffering on the cross, prayed for those who crucified him: “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).
If Christ could pray for those who hurt him, perhaps the question the Gospel leaves with each of us is very simple: How about us?
