Message of Abbot Paul - Tuesday 22nd March
Message from Fr Paul for Tuesday, 22nd March 2022
Each day I receive news from our friends in Ukraine. When I hear or read what they tell me, I find it difficult to think of or concentrate on anything else in the course of the day. For the moment they are safe, but the situation gets worse and more dangerous as each day passes. I was horrified to learn today that in order to enter the UK, Ukrainians still need to apply for a visa, which is not easy to obtain, whereas entry into the Irish Republic, as into other EU countries, is free for refugees. It makes you ashamed to be British. The men have no intention of leaving and are prepared to die to save their country, but they fear for their wives, children and mothers, many of whom also refuse to leave. One friend’s fifteen-year-old son was brought home by the army recruiting officer when he attempted to enlist to fight for his country. We cannot help asking where the destruction will end and what the ultimate goal of this war can be. Today’s Gospel reading is about forgiveness, but there are two sides to that coin. The other is repentance.
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The Gospel comes from Matthew, (Mt 18: 21-35), where Jesus replies to a question of Peter. “Peter went up to Jesus and said, ‘Lord, how often must I forgive my brother if he wrongs me? As often as seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘Not seven, I tell you, but seventy-seven times.’” Seven, of course, was the perfect number, so could be interpreted as ‘always.’ But for Jesus, always is not enough. Seventy-seven times reinforces Peter’s seven to the extent that our hearts and minds should always be disposed to forgiveness for whatever reason and as many times as is necessary. Jesus then tells the disciples the parable of a king and his servants and the settling of accounts in order to describe what life in the kingdom of heaven is like. I won’t reproduce the parable here as it’s too long and you know it well. When the king settles accounts, a man, who owes a vast amount and has no means of paying it back, has that debt cancelled because the king has compassion on him and his family. But then, a fellow servant who owes that man a small amount is treated harshly and thrown into prison. When the king gets to hear of this, his anger rages for his compassion has been taken advantage of and the first debtor is thrown into prison instead. Jesus concludes by saying, “And that is how my heavenly Father will deal with you unless you each forgive your brother from your heart.” In other words, in order to be forgiven, you must first forgive. Not only must we forgive, but we must always see that justice is done, both in ourselves and in others. Forgiveness doesn’t come cheap. Those forgiven must repent and restore what they have taken or destroyed. Let’s not forget that when Jesus assured sinners of God’s mercy and forgiveness, he always added, “and sin no more.” In forgiveness there is a covenant or a contract, which is not to do again the wrongdoing for which we are being forgiven. Lord, help us to forgive and to accept forgiveness. Above all, help us not to sin again. Amen.
