The Apostle James says that "judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy" (James 2:13). Mercy is truly a gift and it is offered in such a way that justice is not negated. Mercy seasons justice as salt seasons meat and gives it flavor. Mercy follows justice and perfects it. To pardon the unrepentant is not mercy but license.

Thursday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Ezekiel 12:1-2

Psalm 78:56-57, 58-59, 61-62

M atthew 18:21-35 and 19:1 Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" (22) Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven. (23) "Therefore, the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. (24) When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; (25) and as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. (26) So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, `Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.' (27) And out of pity for him the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. (28) But that same servant, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat he said, `Pay what you owe.' (29) So his fellow servant fell down and besought him, `Have patience with me, and I will pay you.' (30) He refused and went and put him in prison till he should pay the debt. (31) When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. (32) Then his lord summoned him and said to him, `You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you besought me; (33) and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?' (34) And in anger his lord delivered him to the jailers, till he should pay all his debt. (35) So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart."  (19:1) Now when Jesus had finished these sayings, he went away from Galilee and entered the region of Judea beyond the Jordan.

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Just Feeling Sorry for One’s Sins and Asking for Forgiveness May Not Be Enough: There Must be Repentance and Restitution

W ill Christian Filipinos be pacified if former Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, her husband, Mike Arroyo, and their clique members simply confess to Catholic priests their sins consisting mainly of stealing for more-than nine years Philippine-government funds, tolerating extra-judicial killings, cheating in the electoral process, etceteras, etc.?

Will Filipinos – whether they are Christian, Muslim or what not – simply forgive the Arroyos if their father confessor tells them to recite a million Our Father’s and a zillion Hail Mary’s as their penance? Probably not. And they should not.

In reality, forgiveness requires repentance and restitution. The Arroyos and their Rasputins must return to the public treasury the moneys that they have looted. In fact, some of them would have to go to jail for all the extra-judicial killings of more-than a thousand political activists and reform advocates that they have committed or ordered.

There is Biblical justification for repentance and restitution as conditions precedent to forgiveness.

J esus entered Jericho and was passing through. (2) And there was a man named Zacchae'us; he was a chief tax collector, and rich. (3) And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not, on account of the crowd, because he was small of stature. (4) So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was to pass that way. (5) And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchae'us, make haste and come down; for I must stay at your house today." (6) So he made haste and came down, and received him joyfully. (7) And when they saw it they all murmured, "He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner." (8) And Zacchae'us stood and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded any one of anything, I restore it fourfold." (9) And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. (10) For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost."—Luke 19:1-10

Y es, the Arroyos and their clique members (and even the crooks in the National Federation of Filipino-American Associations or the NaFFAA) must follow in the footsteps of Zacchae'us. Therefore, this writer rests his case.—Bobby M. Reyes

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Meditation by Don Schwager

D oes mercy trump justice? Justice demands that everyone be given their due. So when is it right to show mercy or pardon to those who have acted unjustly or wrongly? The prophet Amos speaks of God forgiving transgression three times, but warns that God may not revoke punishment for the fourth (see Amos 1:3-13; 2:1-6). When Peter posed the question of forgiveness, he characteristically offered an answer he thought Jesus would be pleased with. Why not forgive seven times! How unthinkable for Jesus to counter with the proposition that one must forgive seventy times that. Jesus made it clear that there is no reckonable limit to forgiveness. And he drove the lesson home with a parable about two very different kinds of debts. The first man owed an enormous sum of money – millions in our currency. In Jesus' time this amount was greater than the total revenue of a province – more than it would cost to ransom a king! The man who was forgiven such an incredible debt could not, however bring himself to forgive his neighbor a very small debt which was about one-hundred-thousandth of his own debt.

The contrast could not have been greater! No offence our neighbor can do to us can compare with our debt to God! We have been forgiven a debt which is beyond all paying; to ransom our debt of sin God gave up his only begotten Son. Paul the Apostle states, "you were bought with a price" (1 Corinthians 7:23 ) and that price was Jesus' death on the cross. Through the shedding of his blood on the cross, Jesus not only brought forgiveness and pardon for our offenses, but release from captivity – from bondage and slavery to sin. Christ came to redeem us from a sinful way of life. "You were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your fathers ...with the precious blood of Christ" (1 Peter 1:18). Christ "gave himself to redeem us from all iniquity" (Titus 2:14). Iniquity describes the futile ways of wrongdoing or sin. We have been forgiven an enormous debt which we could never possibly repay. God expects us to treat one another the same way he treats us. If God has forgiven each of us our debt, which was very great, we, too must forgive others whatever debt they owe us.

Jesus teaches that one must forgive in order to be forgiven (Matthew 6:12,14-15). If we do not forgive our fellow human beings, we cannot expect God to forgive us in turn. The Apostle James says that "judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy" (James 2:13). Mercy is truly a gift and it is offered in such a way that justice is not negated. Mercy seasons justice as salt seasons meat and gives it flavor. Mercy follows justice and perfects it. To pardon the unrepentant is not mercy but license. C.S. Lewis, a 20th century Christian author wrote: "Mercy will flower only when it grows in the crannies of the rock of Justice: transplanted to the marshlands of mere Humanitarianism, it becomes a man-eating weed, all the more dangerous because it is still called by the same name as the mountain variety."  If we want mercy shown to us we must be ready to forgive others as God has forgiven us. Do you hold any grudge or resentment towards anyone?

"Lord Jesus, you have been kind and forgiving towards me. May I be merciful as you are merciful. Free me from all bitterness and resentment that I may truly forgive from the heart those who have caused me injury or grief."

Supplementary Reading

Persevere!

I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. - Luke 22:31 (RSV)

W hat's the best thing that has happened to you in this past month? If you had a difficult time thinking of any "best" thing, it's probably your fault. Because, you see, God has given you great possibilities! And the secret of dynamic and effective living is really up to you.

Making confident commitments unlocks the door, which means that you establish a long-range goal and objective. Too many people have only a vague idea of what they want to accomplish in their own lifetime. Therefore, nothing of any significance ever happens.

To live an exciting, growing life, you first establish a firm objective to which you can confidently commit yourself. Then translate this objective into immediate steps, intermediate steps, long-range steps, and ultimate steps.

Once you have done this, all you need is - PERSEVERANCE! Perseverance makes it possible for you to live in such a spirit that good things will happen to you!

Dear God, I am filled with the triumphant Spirit of Jesus Christ! Thank You for sending Your Son to show me the way to a possibility-filled life. Help unlock the creativity You placed in my mind so that I'm able to live an exciting, growing life! Amen.

GOD BLESS US ALL!

O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU.

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