Liturgy

Community Mass

We look forward to welcoming students in Year 10 and their families to Community Mass next Friday. Year 10 students will be preparing the Mass, however, all students, friends and families are always welcome! There is ‘coffee to go’ after Mass.

Community Mass details:

• College Chapel
• Fridays in term time
• Starts: 8:00am and concludes 8:30am

REFLECTION for the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

In Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus tells us we should forgive each other seventy-seven times. Numbers are not randomly used in the Bible. One, three, seven, twelve and forty all have specific meanings. To number something as seven is to describe it as being perfect. When we hear Jesus use this phrase we recall the story in the Book of Genesis of the seven days of creation where, on the seventh day, God looks at the result of his creative love and sees that it is very good. Jesus, using some shorthand, says that not only is forgiveness good, but that it is a creative act that gives life to the world and gives glory to those who exercise it.

In the 5th Century St Augustine said that forgiveness was like a mother who has two wonderful daughters named justice and compassion. In using such a metaphor Augustine knew that forgiveness was not a once-off event, it was a process that involved other virtues as well. Jesus teaches a similar lesson in today’s Gospel, where he uses the image of the King settling his debts. Because the King is just, compassionate and forgiving, he rightly expects that, in turn, his steward will be so as well.

It’s easy to be forgiving in the big picture. We can preach strongly about war, peace and reconciliation. It’s quite another to forgive those closest to us. Sometimes the hardest place to be compassionate and just is our own home. If we are not speaking to a husband, wife, child, parent, sibling or friend then today’s Gospel has a strong challenge right where we live.

Jesus doesn’t tell us that forgiveness is easy, just necessary. To forgive someone in our family, our workplace, our circle of friends or in our Church is not to pretend that a sinful situation did not occur, but to face it head on and demand justice with compassion.

For when we stand before God with the weakness and sinfulness of our own life, God will not settle old scores, take revenge and exact retribution. Rather God, will be perfectly just and completely compassionate. When we choose forgiveness over revenge, and love over hate we begin to glimpse God’s creative goodness coming to perfection in us, because forgiveness is a participation in the very heart of God. 

© Richard Leonard SJ

The reflection for this Sunday is part of a longer homily by Jesuit priest, Fr Richard Leonard. Fr Richard Leonard SJ is the Director of the Australian Catholic Office for Film and Broadcasting, is a member of the Australian Catholic Media Council and is author of Preaching to the Converted, Paulist Press, New York, 2006.

Worldwide Churches celebrate the Season of Creation 1 September to 4 October