Homily [2] 11th Sunday in
Ordinary Time Year C: Fr. Michael U. Udoekpo
·
2
Sam 12:7-10, 13;
·
Ps
32:1-2, 5, 7, 11;
·
Gal 2:16, 19-21
·
Luke
7:36–8:3
Forgiveness with Love
The Bible readings of today remind us of
who God is. His name is Mercy! His name
is Love! God is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast
love and kindness (Exod 34:6). The
readings, when you look at it closely also teach us how to forgive with love,
and how to live with faith in Christ who is the face of God his father! Wonderful
message of love and forgiveness that fit into this Year of Mercy- declared by
Pope Francis- who invites us, the Church to review her practice of the
corporeal and spiritual works of mercy and deepen our witness to the Gospel.
What
I have just said is found in Nathan- David’s story in the first reading. David
is great warrior. He defeats Saul with the help of God. Samuel anoints David
the 2nd ding of Israel. David battles on, leads, repulses the
Philistines and brings the Ark of the Covenant to the central place in Jerusalem.
David expresses the desire to build a house for the Lord. Through Nathan’s
prophecy, God says no. God, rather builds a house for David. Not an ordinary
house, – but a dynasty, and everlasting house through and everlasting covenant.
Why because God loves him, loves us (2 Sam 7:14).
Ironically, the same David, is found
committing what Nathan has pointed out in 1st reading: David spurns
the Lord. David commits adultery with someone’s wife, and orchestrated the
death of her husband- Uriah. The Lord, will punish David and his house. We don’t
know how far the Lord had intended to punish David, but what is important is
David’s acknowledgement of his sins and the merciful God sparing David’s life.
As Nathan would put it, “The Lord on his part has forgiven your sins: you shall
not die.” (2 Sam 12:7–10.13).
David is joyful. David is grateful. He
recognizes the mercy of God and prayers:
“Blessed is the one whose fault is taken away, whose sin
is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputes no guilt, in whose
spirit there is no guile. I acknowledge my sin to you, my guilt I covered
not…You are my shelter’ from my distress you preserve me…”
How many of us reciprocate God’s love for
us, his mercy, or our weaknesses and the need for confession! How often do we
not forget or be so insensitive to those we have offended? It is a true sign of our love for God, and all
he stands for: peace, truth, love, faith, and hope- when we turn to say “sorry”
to our friends, neighbors, colleagues and family members, particularly those we
have offended. We also express our love for God when we openly and sincerely
receive back, with love those who may have offended us.
Imagine Paul who was once an enemy, and an
ardent persecutor of those who had anything to do with Christ. Today in
Galatians 2, that same Paul is able to say, “I live no longer, but Christ who
lives in me.”
This Christ, is the face of the God David. He is mercy in our midst. Christ embodies
mercy- his preaching, his teaching, his listening, his reaching out to
children, elderly, men and women.
Christ completely forgives the sinful woman
in today’s gospel, as God would have forgiven David. Each of us can relate to
this story, because we are all sinners, in need of God’s mercy and love. God knows and sees our weaknesses and strengths.
This woman, though a sinner, like any of us, welcomes the forgiving grace of
God, by her gestures of gratitude, humility and love- weeping before Christ,
anointing, kissing and cleaning Christ’s feet with her hair not with a towel or
paper napkin, and enduring the mockery of the society and of the elites of those
who presumed to be better of! David was also able to say to Nathan, “I have sin
against the Lord.” And Paul was able to say, “I live no Longer I, but Christ
lives in me.”
May the Christ, who is the face of God’s
mercy, love and peace, continue to live in us, in our homes, in our families,( in this...), in our
broken society and divisive politics, as we place all our hope in him?
