The Power of Forgiveness

July 3: Thursday of Week 13 of Ordinary Time, Year A-II:

Amos 7:10-17; Psalm 19:8-11; Matthew 9:1-8

(Also the Feast of St. Thomas: Ephesians 2:19-22; Psalm 117:1-2; John 20:2-9).

To surrender to Jesus expressing himself through us in ministry.

The Power of Forgiveness

“Take heart; your sins are forgiven.” Matthew 9:2

Suppose you know a bully. Or a wife abuser. He is so bad you finally get two men and set out for his house to physically beat some sense into him.

When you arrive, you find him paralyzed by a stroke. Now how do you feel?

You went there thinking you had the power to stop him from doing evil. Now that what we (blindly) call “an act of God” has stopped him from doing anything at all, how do you feel? Satisfaction? Or sympathy? Do you feel you have power now?

The paralytic they brought to Jesus had done bad things. Jesus’ first response was, “Have courage. Your sins are forgiven.” After that he said, “Stand up and walk.”

All sinners are paralyzed. Whether too weak or too unwilling (same thing), they can’t stand up and walk straight.

What can heal them? Jesus made that clear: forgiveness. The real power is the power to forgive. That is the power that makes “the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers clean, the deaf hear, and the dead come to life” (see Luke 7:22).

As prophets we can proclaim the Good News. But our mission is missing something until, through our ministry as priests, “the poor have good news brought to them.” It only reaches them through forgiveness and love.

Force without forgiveness beats down. Love lifts up.

PRAY: “Lord, teach me to forgive.”

PRACTICE: Forgive everyone.