Twenty Fourth Sunday, Year A (Sir. 27:30-28:7; Ps. 102:1-4, 9-12; Rn. 14:7-9; Mt. 18:21-35) Theme: Can Bygones Be Bygones? Forgiveness is a hard thing. “Forgive and forget,” we are told. In life, we may boast to others that we have no enemies. We also can say that we had some enemies years ago, be we have outlived them all. They are no more, but here I am! It may not be uncommon or surprising that we may make this type of statement about ourselves and others. The truth about that, we have been hurt at some point in life. People have made fun of us. Others have ganged up against us. Our school teacher fails to teach us properly, and we feel sad about it. Friends and family fail to invite us to their wedding. We didn’t get the job we thought we should have got after the application. Or at a more serious level, someone we trusted betrayed us, abused us, lied against us, or showed no concern when we needed him/her. There is a broken marriage, and I cannot forgive my spouse. In the face of these, we distance ourselves from them. We fail to forgive. We fail to let go. There is one thing about not letting go of others’ hurt against us. However much we have been wronged, however justified our hatred for those who hurt us, however justified we think we cannot forgive their wrongdoing, if we cherish it, it will poison us. Nelson Mandela continually reminded his fellow prisoners in South Africa that unless they let go of their hurts, they would remain in the grip of those who wronged them. We must pray for the power to forgive, for it is in forgiving that we are healed of our hurts. By failing to forgive, we hurt ourselves more than anyone else. Indeed this is what Jesus had in mind when he told how the merciless servant was cast into prison when he refused to forgive his fellow servant. I don’t think he was suggesting that God would cancel his mercy. He is merely saying that an unforgiving spirit creates a prison of its own. It builds up walls of bitterness and resentment, and there is no escape until we come to forgive. Forgiving those who offend us and letting go is not easy, especially when the wound is very deep. It is a choice and involves three steps. (a) I will never forgive him/her (b) I can’t forgive (forgiveness seen as a good thing, but the hurt is too great and deep) (c) I want to forgive and let go with God’s help. It is relying on the mercy and help of God that we can let go of other peoples’ offenses against us. We must learn to forgive others and let go. Although forgiveness may be a hard nut to crack, once we learn to forget the hurt, we will learn to let go. Resentment grows each time we refuse to forgive. Revenge becomes our “handbags” when we refuse to let go. Our desire for revenge can block us from receiving God’s mercy. Let us not forget that forgiveness has no limits. Forgiveness is not a question of just how often or how many times; instead, it reflects God’s unending willingness to pardon. If God can forgive us for our failings, we must learn to forgive others and forgive ourselves. By forgiving, we set ourselves on the road to recovery, healing, and peace of mind. There are no limits to his forgiveness. May God bless us and forgive us as we forgive others. God Bless You, Fr. Deniskingsley