Forgiveness Sunday

Romans 13:11-14:4; Matthew 6:14-21

St Paul says, “Our salvation is at hand.” Great Lent is an important season. It’s our opportunity to fast from parties and drinking, from quarreling and jealousy, and from every selfish action or pleasure that stands in between us and Christ. To this end we enter Great Lent with resolutions for fasting and abstinence, and St Paul reminds us that it is not our place to judge what other people are eating or not eating. Some might eat nothing but bread for all of Lent and some might only be able to follow the minimum requirements; the main thing is that we don’t eat each other this Lent by bickering and gossiping. Whatever we do, we want to do in charity, for love of God and neighbor.

Our Lord instructs us in today’s passage to do three things: 1) forgive those who have wronged us, that’s today’s theme, 2) fast and pray out of love for God, not out of vanity, and 3) store up for ourselves heavenly treasures by giving alms and performing works of mercy. These are the three themes of Lent: prayer and fasting, almsgiving, and reconciliation.

First, about forgiveness, the Fathers say that if you want to stop being miserable, start being merciful. It is really quite profound. You see, by holding a grudge we harm no one other than ourselves. The person we are holding a grudge against might not even know it. The bitterness of unforgiveness eats us up from the inside out. Let it go. Forgive that person. And here is the amazing part: when we forgive, we become more like God, because who taught us to forgive? Forgiveness is uniquely Christian, because it is part of theosis; part of our transformation as coheirs with Christ. The Father wants to forgive us our sins, but He waits for us to forgive others because He can’t forgive someone who has no mercy in his heart. Nothing so enslaves you to your fallen nature than to bitterly hold on to a grudge. On the other hand, “nothing so likens you to God as to forgive him who has injured you” (Chrysostom).

So why do we also fast during Lent? There are two main reasons, 1) because fasting strengthens our prayer and 2) the idea is to eat less so that we can give more alms. (I highly recommend that you give some alms this Lent to a monastery.) But the Fathers say it is also important how we fast—that we not fast in order to be seen by men, but fast for love of God. We shouldn’t brag about our fasting or look on those who are fasting less. That is all vanity and pride. We fast in order to enhance our prayer. One obvious way we can do this is by praying first thing in the morning before we eat anything. But Our Lord is also instructing us not to be cranky when we fast. If we are hangry, it is better to eat some food than to eat our neighbor. We should be joyful during Lent because prayer should make us happy. What could possibly make us more amiable than to fast from sin and spend more time in prayer and works of mercy? If fasting keeps you from doing good, then eat, because the whole point of fasting is to deny our base passions and to pray more.

And finally, we are instructed to lay up for ourselves treasure in Heaven. This means growing in virtue, and giving alms, but it also means practicing detachment from earthly goods. It is easy for us to get attached to things. Some accumulate wealth to earn honor and praise from men. Others store up wealth as a means of earthly happiness, pleasure, security, or comfort. But what is better? To hold our treasures on earth where their security is doubtful, or to place our treasures in heaven where they are absolutely secure? By heavenly wealth, I mean our virtues and merits earned in this life. Disordered attachment to things pulls our attention away from God and lofty thoughts and enslaves us to avarice, gluttony, lust, pride, jealousy, and even heresy. And if all our treasure is on earth, what do we have to look forward to in heaven?

Lent only comes once. Let’s take advantage of it and store up for ourselves some heavenly wealth so we have something to look forward to when we die. As my father used to remind me, “Life is short and eternity long.”