St. Mary's Catholic Church of Tomahawk, WI

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

We are in the twenty fourth ordinary Sunday of year A. The first reading from the Book of Sirach is drawn from the sections of anger, vengeance and forgiveness. A reflection of the deadly nature of wrath and anger, an injunction to forgive is the remedy. Sirach offers the injunction to “forgive your neighbor’s injustice”, which means even such harm must be forgiven. How do we respond to such situations with our neighbor?

In the second reading St. Paul identifies two groups who appear in conflict: those weak in faith and those who are strong in it. The majority of his advice appears directed to those who are strong. He declares that for the Christian neither life nor death is lived for oneself but for the Lord. Here he is affirming the paschal mystery and invites us to do the same as Christ our Lord did for us all.

In the Gospel our Lord narrates a parable explaining the importance of reconciliation and forgiveness. He presents both the compassionate and forgiving nature of the King towards his servant and the uncompassionate and unforgiving nature of the same servant towards his fellow servant. The forgiving heart has patience, understanding and magnanimity, whereas the unforgiving heart was impatient, angry and reacting with torture towards the debtor. Who is our model among the two? Jesus wants us to follow the Kingly nature.

Fr. Aloysius Royan Anthony