17 September 2017
Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
“Wrath and anger are hateful things, yet the sinner hugs them tight” (Sir 27:30). Why is it so hard for us to let go of our own wrath and anger, even though we know they bring us living death? We even use strategies to help our wrath and anger to grow, replaying over and over again another person’s faults and offenses, reminding ourselves not so much of our own superiority, but of our neighbor’s inferiority. Why can’t we let go of our wrath and anger, and instead work for forgiveness and reconciliation? Is it that, deep down, we still don’t trust God? Are we afraid that God’s mercy will annihilate His justice? Are we afraid that He will forgive something that should never be forgiven? “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,” says the Lord, and yet we sinners are still not fully convinced. We insist on repaying a little vengeance of our own, maybe with the tongue or with the heart.
“Think of the commandments, hate not your neighbor; remember the Most High’s covenant, and overlook faults” (Sir 28:7).