Forgive your neighbor's injustice; then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven. Could anyone nourish anger against another and expect healing from the LORD? Could anyone refuse mercy to another like himself, can he seek pardon for his own sins? Sirach 28:2-4
“‘I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?' Then in anger, his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. So, will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart." Matthew 18:32-35
Piety
An African proverb says: "You do not teach the paths of the forest to an old gorilla." Experience counts. Wisdom is simply its distillation. (Sr. Joan Chittister, OSB).
Study
There is nothing new in today’s readings for anyone who has recited the Lord’s Prayer a time or two. Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass AGAINST US.
Nothing new but that does not make the prayer any easier to put into practice. We are our own strongest advocate. We hate to admit that we are wrong.
Forgiveness, revenge, and mercy come to mind recalling the poignant last scene of the movie Manon of the Spring. It is the sequel to Jean de Florette. As the IMDB blurb explains, the movie is about Manon, “a beautiful but shy shepherdess who plots vengeance on the men whose greedy conspiracy to acquire her father's land caused his death years earlier.”
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| SPOILER ALERT: Jean de Florette (as portrayed by Gérard Depardieu literally worked himself to death carrying water up to his property. |
The first movie traced the plot of a greedy landowner and his nephew who conspired to block the only water source for an adjoining property in order to bankrupt the owner and force him to sell. SPOILER ALERT: Jean de Florette literally worked himself to death carrying water up to his property.
Ah, but those who take vengeance into their own hands have a surprise waiting. "Vengeance is mine." (Deuteronomy 32:35)
By the second movie, the grown-up daughter lives in the hills in sadness for her departed father. She realizes that not only the old man and his nephew but also the whole village knew of the existence of the spring when her father was desperately trying to water his crops. An accidental discovery leads her to the source of the blocked-up spring and a way to get even with the conspirators.
She exacts revenge on the village by blocking the spring that feeds their property. Without water, the village and its economy are crippled. The nephew commits suicide and after some time, Manon, acting out of pity, compassion and forgiveness, unblocks the spring and the village comes back to life. She rises above her feelings of revenge and provides mercy to the village – the mercy that her father never experienced.
SPOILER ALERT: The greedy old man learned in a revelation in front of the town church how cruel his actions were not only to Jean and Manon but also to himself. Due to his crime, his aspirations shall never come to pass the way he wanted.
Action
Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass AGAINST US.
Who do you need to forgive?
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