Homily - 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time - 17th September 2023

Homily

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

17th September 2023

About thirty or so years ago, I was living in Belfast. Our eldest was about 3 at the time and we were still very much in the Troubles. Between various Christian groups, there were meetings and prayers to help bridge gaps. We were attempting to get to know and understand our neighbours across the divide.

Coming from an Anglican tradition, with cousins in the Catholic Church and others connected to the Baptist Church, I had had experience in England with how each had respected the other. At least, I thought I had, until I decided to join the Catholic Church, then another can of worms opened and I began to see prejudices coming out that I had never seen before.

But back to the meetings in Belfast. There was an elderly English Catholic lady, we will call Cindy (not her real name) who lived in the middle of a Loyalist area. She invited me to bring my son down to a meeting to say some prayers and chat with some of her Protestant friends. At the time, I didn’t have a car, so Cindy picked me and my son up and brought us to her home. The afternoon tea went down well as did the chat and prayers. However, at the end of the meeting, Cindy led us to her door and said cheerio. I had to walk home, out from a Loyalist area into the Catholic area where I lived.

At the time, there was a lot of shootings, and the news was full of deaths and funerals on both sides. So, things were tense. I knew if I went straight home it would be obvious I was a Catholic in a Loyalist area. I was concerned for my son’s safety. I put my son on my shoulders and headed in a different direction. There were definitely eyes watching us, and I knew at one point I was being followed to see where I was going. Thankfully, we did get home, but I felt extremely hurt that I had been put in this situation and Cindy seemed to have no concern for me or my son’s safety.

For quite some time, I struggled to talk to Cindy, because of the hurt I felt. Then Cindy moved into the estate we lived in. In fact, to the house opposite our front door. I still found it hard to forgive her. As time went by, I began to realise how this hurt I felt was doing more harm to me and having no affect on Cindy. She settled into her new neighbourhood and continued to connect with people.

I came to a point where I knew I had to find the courage to ask Cindy for her forgiveness, for the way I had started to treat her, ignoring her, as I had found it hard even to talk to her. The day came when I found the strength to face her and apologise. And she had the grace to forgive me, as I had found it in my heart to forgive her.

As we hear from our first reading, resentment and anger are foul things, being found in the sinner. My shunning of Cindy had corrupted me. We are told that if we harbour such anger towards another, how can we demand compassion from God.

In the extended reading from St Paul to the Romans, he reminds us of how we should not judge others because they do things differently. He specifically mentioned those who eat meat and those who just eat vegetables. All food is considered good by God, but if the way we have been influenced means we consider meat wrong to eat, and we choose to eat only vegetables in our thanks to God, then that is okay. Whatever we do, if it is to glorify God, that is acceptable, but we must not then judge others, because for them they give glory to God, through eating meat. Where it is wrong, is if we force someone who eats meat to just eat vegetables, and punish them when they do not, or vice versa.

What is more appropriate, is that we should not be the cause of our brothers and sisters to trip or fall, because of the way we have judged them. God chooses the path for each one of us. At times it may appear to be different from what others around us seem to be doing. But our focus must be on doing what God wants us to do. And we must allow others to do the same, even when it appears to be different. If they are living for the Lord, they belong to him also.

In the Gospel, if the bad servant had been more compassionate, forgiving, and more understanding towards the servant who owed him money, he too would have been forgiven. We need to learn how to forgive others, even if it means seventy-seven times or more.

Cindy and I did become friends again. All that had divided us had been mended. I had realised that if I wanted to remain a Christian, I had to learn how to forgive those who caused me pain. Like me, they struggle in this world, trying to make sense of what it is all about. Thankfully, through following Christ and becoming part of his community, I have learnt more about being compassionate and showing love.

Our lord encourages us to remember his commandments, and not to bear any ill-will against our neighbours. If we can forgive our neighbours the hurt they have done to us, whether intentional or not; when we pray, God will forgive us our own sins.

Amen.

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