Continuity and Forgiveness

March 3, 2019   [ 08 Sunday]     •  Sirach 27:4-7 • Psalm 92 • 1 Corinthians 15:54-58 • + Luke 6:39-45  •

Title:   Continuity and Forgiveness    

[_01_]   This morning, we welcome in a special way our Religious Education  and Faith Formation families on the journey to First Holy Communion, our families and children who learn together, who study together, in this program.

          This program in which both generations – parents and children – learn together and share the journey. Continuity is good, helps in our friendships, in our relationships with each other. Continuity helps not only to know another person but also to know who I am or who we are.

          And, our parish family is strengthened by the many volunteers and leaders who make this happen.

          I am grateful to you - the mothers and fathers, the grandparents, the aunts and uncles family members who help your children to learn alongside with you in this relationship of continuity, continuity of the faith, continuity within your own family and continuity between families. I am grateful that you help each other as brothers and sisters, by being close and in continuity…

[_02_]   You guys watch TV, right ? You watch commercials. There is this commercial/advertisement for the Discover Credit Card.

          The Discover Card ad in which 2 women are acting and playing parts acting as twin sisters to each other.

          One woman plays the CUSTOMER/card holder calling up Discover and the other plays the representative at the DISCOVER office, answering the call and wearing a phone headset.

          And, the commercial message is that “We treat you like you’d treat you”…. Because this young woman calls Discover and speaks to the representative who appears to be her twin sister who explains her bill/statement and they get along very well.  It’s a win-win and they are twins.

[_03_]  How do I want to be treated? How do you and I want to be treated?

          Jesus speaks about this in the Gospel today.

          That the “good tree bears good fruit” and the “splinter in your eye and the wooden beam in someone else’s eye.”

          I’d like to speak first about the good tree bearing good fruit.

          Or the disciple learning from his teacher. We learn by continuity and learn by being close to each other.

          We experience this continuity in our families.

          [*** pause ***]

          ILLUSTRATION:  My friend’s mother liked to tell this to her children – she said, I hope …

          … each of you has a child exactly like you are. She told her girls, I hope each of you has a daughter exactly like you. To her boys, I hope each of you has a son exactly like you.  She loved them.

          We learn about ourselves also by the inner being and personality of others.  We learn by being nurtured by those closest to us. The old saying --

 “►the apple does not fall far from the tree.”

[_04_]  And, there is also continuity in forgiveness. Jesus expresses this continuity and idea of forgiveness as follows, saying that … do not worry about the splinter in your brother’s or your sister’s eye – or your twin sister’s eye -- when you have a wooden beam in your own eye. (Luke 6:42)

          What does that mean?

          Well, it means that we all hope for forgiveness.

          We hope for forgiveness, for mercy, for healing and we need that in connection to our relationships with each other.

[_05_]   But, we could also put in a negative way. That is, we could use that expression (about the splinter/beam) to ignore the so-called elephant in the room.

          Sometimes we ignore elephants in the room. Or we use the expression as justification for a kind of toxic indifference.

          That word ‘toxic’ is popular, not just for the EPA or clean-up authorities but ‘toxic’ says something about a relationship. And a relationship can be toxic – or at least only only partially healthy – if there is indifference in the relationship.

          And, the indifference can even be chronic, like chronic pain and it gets worse over time.

          And, sometimes ‘indifference’ can get worse over time. We get used to being indifferent to each other or not caring about each other.

          And, that’s how we might experience the splinter/beam idea. 

In other words, you ignore my wooden beam and I’ll ignore your splinter. OK ?

          And, we ignore the elephant in the room.

[_06_]    But our hope of forgiveness is based NOT on my sins being forgotten or overlooked.

          I don’t need my sins forgotten. I need my sins forgiven.

          I need to be forgiven.

[_07_]    Isn’t it also true that it’s possible – and quite healthy – when someone can correct us and also forgive us?

          Or, when we can correct another person in a loving way and also forgive the other person.

          In other words, just because someone corrects me --- and I might just start jumping to a conclusion – just because someone corrects me..and I think, the person corrects me, person doesn’t like me. Someone corrects me, the person doesn’t love me.

          Someone corrects me, and the relationship is over. That’s toxic.

          In the Letter to the Hebrews, in the New Testament, we read:

 “the Lord discipline the one he loves”  (Hebrews 12:6)

          We accept discipline from those who love us and we give discipline to those whom we love.

          Jesus corrects us and he forgives us.

          This is the message from the Cross, saying:  “forgive them Father they know not what they do.”  (Luke 23:34)

          And, I need forgiveness for the things I know I am doing wrong. I need forgiveness for the things that I do not know I am doing wrong.

          We need forgiveness in both cases.

          This draws us closer to the Gospel, Good News. It’s the way we want to be treated.

          The way that helps us to grow and to know we are loved and to remind us that…  “►the apple does not fall far from the tree.” [_fin_]