7th Sun. OT-A’17
“Impervious”
Fr. Jeff Nicolas
I once read a small book entitled, “Seven Secrets of Confession,” by Mr. Vinny Flynn. What started out as a curiosity read became a centerpiece of my prayer.
You see, “Seven Secrets of Confession” is not really about secrets at all. It is really about highlighting long standing truths such as the Father of Mercies is always loving us; God is always ready not only to forgive, but to heal; and God is eager to restore us as His creation recreating us in His image and likeness. None of this is a secret.
But then I was reminded of a hard truth: there are barriers that block God’s love, block God’s forgiveness, and block God’s healing (barriers often unknown and unintentional).
As Psalm 30 says, barriers that can hide God’s face from us.
As Psalm 32 says, a fault, a sin, that can cut us off allowing us to waste away and wither.
One barrier in particular has me worried given today’s Gospel, unforgiveness.
Vinny reminds me that God’s love has no bounds, but my reception of God’s love does. My reception of God’s love depends completely on one condition…
“And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
Vinny points out that “The Catechism of the Catholic Church” says,
“We can pray [The Lord’s Prayer] in bold confidence because, though we are sinners, we feel a firm hope in God’s mercy, His forgiving love poured out for us through the sacraments.”
That’s the good news, but there is more, for the Catechism continues, “Yet, this outpouring of mercy cannot penetrate our hearts as long as we have not forgiven those who have trespassed against us… In refusing to forgive our brothers and sisters, our hearts are closed and their hardness makes them impervious to the Father’s merciful love!” Impervious to God’s love! This means God can’t get in!
As a preacher, God’s love flowing through me is essential to the task of creating encounters with Christ. Yet, just as clogged arteries lead to heart attacks, I fear my unforgiving may block God’s ability to use me. It is blocking all of us harboring unforgiveness from becoming the best versions of ourselves.
I have been leading parishes for over twenty-three years now, and it shouldn’t surprise anyone that trying to lead communities typically brings with it some woundedness. The woundedness is normal, but I fear my lingering accumulated unforgiveness may be chaining me to the wounds.
With Vinny’s help I found myself asking, who do I need to forgive? What hurtful memories are alive and kicking? What of my cold or hostile relationships? What of my feelings of frustration, irritation, anger, and resentment? And not just at other people, but situations, circumstances, unfulfilled needs, unanswered prayers, and derailed plans?
What about God’s failure to follow my script? This is me, what about you?
For the longest time I clung to my unforgiveness because I was in the right, constantly nursing and rehearsing tapes (playing in my head and out loud) that decry how I had been wronged. But what if this is blocking what God wants to do through me as a priest, as a preacher? What if God wants more for me? What if God wants more for you?
God does want more.
God wants our freedom. Jesus Christ wants our healing. The Holy Spirit wants to flow through us. Listening to today’s scripture makes me realize how far I have to go to “be perfect, just as my heavenly Father is perfect.” The scripture highlights my failure to forgive. Yet, it is one thing to realize I am chained by unforgiveness; it is another thing to take action to become free. We must turn our curses into blessings.
The “Seven Secrets of Confession” book offers a set of actions to take: repent, revoke, and replace. Call to mind any unforgiveness to which you are clinging… picture that person, name that frustration or disappointment, feel that betrayal. Then consciously decide to turn that wound into an opportunity for grace.
First verbally repent of holding the unforgiveness. (“Lord I repent of not forgiving that person for causing me such undeserved heartache. I repent from holding onto the wound of that injustice.”) Perhaps you can take this into the Sacrament of Confession.
Next, verbally revoke anything said or felt stemming from the unforgiveness. (“Lord I revoke all my negative, unkind thoughts. I un-think them, I un-say those words.”)
Finally, verbally replace those “curses” with a blessing. (“Lord I forgive Tom, and I bless him, and I ask that you bless him too.”)
I believe Vinny’s “Three R’s” (Repent, Revoke, and Replace), when embraced, can become a manifestation of our will to forgive that opens us to the healing and freedom God wants for each of us. Then our past unforgiveness can become an opportunity to bless rather than curse, and a means of imitating Jesus Christ who from his cross said, “Father forgive them.”
Any path we might take to the freedom that comes from forgiving others must first begin with our seeking forgiveness from God. Holding on to unforgiveness is a sin. We have to first be set free from this by God before we can set others free.
The prayer we have been learning over these past weeks can also be applied here. I Can’t. You Can. I’m Your’s.
REPENT: Lord Jesus I CAN’T keep holding onto my unforgiveness, my resentment, my need for retribution and to curse the other. I repent of doing this.
REVOKE: YOU CAN undo all the harm within me that my unforgiveness has caused. Help me, revoke the harm.
REPLACE: I’M YOUR’S Lord Jesus, replace my curses with blessings for my enemies.
If anything I have preached speaks to you today, then use this Lent to repent, revoke, and replace. God’s love wants to get into you!
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