Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
These passages today remind me of a line from the movie, “The Song of Bernadette.” The doctor inspects the holy saint and asks her several questions. Dr. Dozous asks Bernadette this question, “Do you know what a sinner is?” and Bernadette replies “Certainly Monsieur, a sinner is one who loves evil!”
In our first reading from Sirach today, we hear this, “Remember your last days, set enmity aside; remember death and decay, and cease from sin! Think of the commandments, hate not your neighbor; remember the Most High’s covenant, and overlook faults.” We also hear in the gospel how many times we should forgive (seventy times seven) and the parable of the wicked servant.
The servant was forgiven of all debt by the King and he was shown mercy, but when the servant went and demanded from his fellow servant, the smaller amount owed to him, he threw him in prison until he could pay back what he owed. How evil! There was no mercy shown to the fellow servant, when the master heard this, the master handed over the servant to torture until he paid back the debt. At the end of the gospel, the Lord says “So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart.”
We must always forgive and go to confession, Jesus wants us to be united to him and his Sacred Heart, and there is no better way to do this than going to confession and asking forgiveness from the Lord. Is there a time you can go to confession soon and not just during the Advent and Lenten seasons? I challenge you to go to confession at least once a month, feel the mercy of the Lord, and be set free from the shackles of sin.
Reflection by Br. Maximilian Burkhart, OSB
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections