Break Free From the Past: How to Find Grace Again

 

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We Are Here to Help Each Other

Good morning, my dear brothers and sisters. Today’s readings are a reminder of how important it is to help one another. It’s very clear. We have to help one another. This is a sign of being a Christian. We are not here to hurt people. We are here to help people. And if we do that, and if we do that well, then people will know that we are Christians.

The First Reading: Speak Up

In the first reading, it’s pretty clear. “If I tell the wicked, O wicked one, you will die, and you do not speak out to dissuade the wicked from his way, the wicked shall die from their guilt, but I will hold you responsible for his death.”

Can you imagine? If we don’t speak up, if we don’t say “hey, what you’re doing is not right,” if we don’t give our voice to someone who needs help, the Lord says that the wicked person will die of their guilt and he will hold us responsible for it. That’s pretty clear.

The Second Reading: Owe Nothing Except Love

Then in the second reading, it almost seems like we’re off the hook. “Brothers and sisters, owe nothing to anyone.” Great. But it continues: “except to love one another.” And that’s everything. That’s everything.

I remember in confession, I gave a penance to someone and I said, “Okay, your only penance is to love your mother.” And they said, “That’s it?” Yes. That’s a tough penance. That’s not easy. To love someone.

Maybe it feels easy because we don’t really know what it means. What does it mean to love someone? It means to want what’s good for the other person. It means to give and to forgive. Those two go together. Owe nothing to anyone except the most important thing, the everything, which is to love one another.

The Gospel: Do Whatever It Takes

Then, of course, in the gospel today, Jesus tells the disciples that if your brother sins against you, go tell him. If he doesn’t listen to you, bring another person. If he doesn’t listen to the two of you, bring another person, three people. Do whatever you have to do to get this person to listen. This is how important it is to help each other. We have to help each other.

Don’t Fall Asleep to the Voice of God

But what’s the temptation? What’s the problem? “If today you hear his voice, harden not your heart.”

You know how it goes. Someone says, “Let’s watch this movie.” You sit down together, and five minutes in, the person who suggested it is fast asleep. Or you see someone at the airport reading a book, and their eyes are closing. This happens to all of us.

Yesterday, I was listening to confessions and I was starting to lose it. It was hard. I’m embarrassed to admit it. And of course, you can go through the motions. “Okay, your sins are forgiven.” But you have to make a decision. “If today you hear his voice, harden not your heart.” Don’t be deaf to it. Don’t fall asleep to it. Don’t be annoyed by it.

It’s like going to Mass and falling asleep. You’re not getting what you could get out of it, the graces. So snap out of it. Either read your book or go to bed. Either watch the movie or go to bed. Either do what you have to do or step away from it. But don’t try to live this halfway. “I’m here, but I’m not here.” No.

A Grace Born from Full Attention

When I finally made the decision in that confessional, when I said “snap out of it” and gave my full attention, I was able to be inspired by God to say something I had never said before.

Why does God forgive us so many times? Why does God love us so much? Why does he give us so much, and why does he keep forgiving us over and over and over again?

Because God believes that we have a future. That’s the reason. God believes that we can actually change.

Why is it so hard for you or me to forgive someone? Because we don’t believe that person can actually change. We don’t believe that person has a future, that they can actually be better than what they are today. And that’s why we don’t forgive easily.

Forgive the Past, Believe in the Future

So what was my illumination? Forgive your past and believe in your future. That was the message I was able to give to so many people that day.

Why does God forgive us? Because he forgives our past and he believes in our future.

My dear brothers and sisters, we can learn from that. We’ve experienced it over and over again. God has blessed us with so much. Forgive your past. Believe in your future. Because that is exactly what God does for us.

Amen.