Lifeissues is mainly concerned with publishing thoughtful articles directly related to issues raised in Evangelium Vitae. However, from the very beginning, we have also published a few related homilies, notably by Fr. Al Cariño, O.M.I., Fr. Tony Pueyo, and others.
Please use the pulldowns below to select a homily by Liturgical Calendar date.
Forgiveness is not easy, whether one is asking for it or one is giving it. To admit wrongdoing is not easy. We would rather gloss over our sins. Or we deny them and blame somebody else. This dates back to the time of Adam and Eve when upon discovery of his sin, Adam blamed Eve, and Eve blamed the snake (Gen. 3:11-13) .
In the desert, the Israelites fell into the worship of the Egyptian god, Apis, the god of strength and agrarian fertility, or wealth. Apis was popular because most people make power and wealth the center of their lives, and although few people today actually bow before idols of gold, there are very few people who have not made the pursuit of power and wealth their chief purpose in life.
None of us lives as his own master and none of us dies as his own master.
We sin knowingly and freely, so we are responsible before God, but Christ said it nevertheless: "They know not what they do". In other words, for the most part, we are not aware of the full implications of our behavior. For some people, that might not matter - they will choose evil anyways, because they love evil. But for those who try to love God, understanding the full implications of our choices would indeed matter, and we would be filled with regret. And so the Lord is merciful and gives us opportunities throughout our lives to grow and to better see the damage our sins have done, and to repent.
Summary: Jesus wants us to get stronger and healthier by making the decision to forgive. He then challenges us to turn that choice into an ongoing process, based on a willingness to forgive others because God has forgiven us.
Rather than offering a simple message of "forgive or you won't be forgiven," this parable offers a picture of what life in the church should be like, and of what life in the kingdom the church represents will be like.