From Our Pastor: 24th Sunday In Ordinary Time

This weekend we focus on the need for forgiveness. Sirach and the Gospel of Matthew are explicit about our need to forgive others. Not only do these passages tell us to forgive but they make it plainly clear that if we don’t forgive, we will not be forgiven. Sirach tells us today to get rid of vengeance, wrath, and anger out of our lives. Sirach bluntly tells us that we will be forgiven as we forgive, to live out the commandments, and to remember the covenant with the Lord.

The Gospel of Matthew gives us Peter asking the question how often we must forgive. Peter thinks he is being insanely generous by saying seven times which is purposely being used as a covenantal number. Jesus responds not seven times but 77 times. This takes me back to my childhood. When I was a kid oftentimes people would start throwing out numbers of things how about five times or how about 10 times and then eventually somebody would always have said how about Infinity times. Or they would say something like Infinity times Infinity. This is basically what Jesus is doing here. By saying 77 times He’s taking the covenantal number of perfection and duplicating it which is like saying Infinity times Infinity. He then tells the story of the master and the servants needing forgiveness. Not only does the master give this man more time to pay back his debt but he forgives the entirety of the debt. Brothers and sisters this is good news for us because this is what God does for us. The good news is the fact that we could not repay our debt to the Lord for what we have done in our sin, but he paid the debt for us completely and gave us forgiveness and love in return. To receive that forgiveness and love we must also be willing to give that forgiveness and love.

So whatever grudges you are holding in your heart, get rid of them. Yes, I know someone hurt you, but it is time to forgive them, give that hurt to the cross, and let it go. In doing this that person no longer has any control or hold over you. You are truly free. If we are not willing to forgive though and still hold on to that grudge, we will not be forgiven into eternity. Heed this warning! And forgive your brother from your heart.

Lately, we have been having trouble with people signing up for adoration on Wednesdays. A parish our size should not have any trouble with this. It is only 8 hours of adoration one day a week. I know of parishes that are a quarter of our size that do 24-hour adoration 365 days a year. We must step up to make this prayer opportunity available not just for our brothers and sisters in Christ to experience a deeply prayerful connection with the Lord Jesus but most specifically so that our children in the school are afforded this opportunity. If we can’t start filling all the slots, we will have to cease this opportunity for our children and do we really want to take that experience of Christ away from them? Jesus in exposition CANNOT be left unattended, which means we must have someone signed up and committed to being with Him, so that we can make this opportunity available to all. Please sign up for this amazing opportunity and do your part, especially in this year of the Eucharist where we are supposed to be re-devoting ourselves to the true presence of Christ.

Fr. Rafal and I will be gone this week for a few days to attend the priest convocation in Collinsville. It is a required attendance event, but also a great opportunity for all the priests to gather together for fellowship and continued formation. Therefore, we will not have masses on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of this week, but instead will have communion services for the opportunity to still receive communion. Thank you to Deacon Wayne Zimmerman and Deacon Dennis Holbrook for making these services possible. Pray for more priests and pray for the priests of our diocese who will be all gathered this week.

Lastly, we are beginning our stewardship renewal, so please be attentive to the information that is mailed to you and the information on the bulletins and presentations at mass! Take this time to renew yourselves in the Lord and recommit yourselves to discipleship.

-Rev. Steven Arisman