So, first, about forty-odd years ago, the Catholic Church sets up a three-year cycle that determines which Scripture passages will be read on which Sundays of the year1.
Then 9/11 happens. May they all rest in peace.
Ten is a nice round number for us humans, and we sure like round numbers, don't we? So the tenth anniversary of 9/11 will get our attention, more so even than other anniversaries. Especially since it just happens that this was the year we caught and killed Bin Laden, the mastermind behind the attacks.
Then it just happens that the tenth anniversary of 9/11 is a Sunday.
And it just happens that the Scripture readings on this tenth anniversary focus completely on forgiveness.2
Yeah, God is totally telling us that we need to forgive Bin Laden and the Taliban3.
Warning us to forgive them, I might even say.
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Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time4
Reading 1: Sir 27:30-28:7
Wrath and anger are hateful things,
yet the sinner hugs them tight.
The vengeful will suffer the LORD's vengeance,
for he remembers their sins in detail.
Forgive your neighbor's injustice;
then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven.
Could anyone nourish anger against another
and expect healing from the LORD?
Could anyone refuse mercy to another like himself,
can he seek pardon for his own sins?
If one who is but flesh cherishes wrath,
who will forgive his sins?
Remember your last days, set enmity aside;
remember death and decay, and cease from sin!
Think of the commandments, hate not your neighbor;
remember the Most High's covenant, and overlook faults.
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12
R. The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger, and rich in compassion.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger, and rich in compassion.
He pardons all your iniquities,
heals all your ills.
redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger, and rich in compassion.
He will not always chide,
nor does he keep his wrath forever.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger, and rich in compassion.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he put our transgressions from us.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger, and rich in compassion.
Reading 2: Rom 14:7-9
Brothers and sisters:
None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself.
For if we live, we live for the Lord,
and if we die, we die for the Lord;
so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.
For this is why Christ died and came to life,
that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.
Gospel: Mt 18:21-35
Peter approached Jesus and asked him,
"Lord, if my brother sins against me,
how often must I forgive?
As many as seven times?"
Jesus answered, "I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.
That is why the kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king
who decided to settle accounts with his servants.
When he began the accounting,
a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount.
Since he had no way of paying it back,
his master ordered him to be sold,
along with his wife, his children, and all his property,
in payment of the debt.
At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said,
'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.'
Moved with compassion the master of that servant
let him go and forgave him the loan.
When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants
who owed him a much smaller amount.
He seized him and started to choke him, demanding,
'Pay back what you owe.'
Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him,
'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'
But he refused.
Instead, he had the fellow servant put in prison
until he paid back the debt.
Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened,
they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master
and reported the whole affair.
His master summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant!
I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to.
Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant,
as I had pity on you?'
Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers
until he should pay back the whole debt.
So will my heavenly Father do to you,
unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart."
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1. To the best of my knowledge. We are currently using a 1998 "edition" of the lectionary, but as far as I know, the actual cycle of readings didn't change with the updated edition. Even if I'm wrong about that, though, it's still before 9/11 happened.
2. For a bonus, the one reading that doesn't focus directly on forgiveness - the reading from Romans - tells us that "whether we live or die, we are the Lord's". Just to drive home that all those who died in 9/11, they belong to the Lord. And all those who have survived but lost out on someone or something because of the attacks ... they are the Lord's too. Jesus, who died and rose, is Lord of both the living and the dead, we are told.
3. Yes, I think it matters whether we forgive Bin Laden, even though he's already dead. For our sake, and (because I'm Catholic and we believe in Purgatory and I hope he's there) for his. Forgiving the rest of the Taliban is important, too.
4. The bold emphases in the Scripture verses are, obviously, mine.
Thank you.
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