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HOLINESS IS IDENTIFICATION WITH THE FATHER’S COMPASSION IN FORGIVENESS AND UNDERSTANDING  

SCRIPTURE READINGS: DN 9:4-10; LK 6:36-38http://www.universalis.com/20140317/mass.htmThe season of Lent is an invitation to regain our baptismal innocence and purity and to put on Christ.  What does it mean to grow in holiness?  Last Monday, holiness was spelt out in terms of compassion by practicing almsgiving especially in serving our brothers and sisters, those who are marginalized and considered the least in society.  This second Monday of Lent continues to speak of holiness in terms of compassion but from the perspective of understanding and forgiveness.  Thus, it is not enough to give to the materially poor.  We must also offer forgiveness to the spiritually poor, that is, sinners.  Indeed, Luke tells us that forgiveness is the way to perfection and to holiness because the Father is compassionate.Why is it so important to give pardon and grow in empathy with the sinfulness of our fellowmen?  The failure to offer forgiveness does not so much condemn the sinner, but the one who refuses to forgive.  Indeed, Jesus warns us, “Do not judge and you will not be judged yourselves; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned yourselves; grant pardon, and you will be pardoned.”The truth is that much suffering in life is not so much simply because someone has hurt us by his or her words and actions but that we continue to nurse the pain even when the incident is already long over.  The real pain is the psychological and emotional pain that continue to affect us way after the incident.Of course, this is true not only in the case of forgiveness but also in the judgmental attitude we have towards others.  Our judgment of others, especially if we are condemning the person, also indicates the kind of person we are.  Being judgmental is to fall into the danger of pretending to know the heart and motive of the person.  That is why we are so ready to condemn the person and not merely the sin.   By so doing, we are playing God, as if we can read hearts.  It also shows the lack of compassion in us and most of all, our pride because underneath a judgmental attitude is a hidden pride that makes us think we are not like them and therefore better than them.What, then, is the basis for compassion?  If we want to grow in compassion for our neighbours, we must first desire to identify ourselves with the heavenly Father in His perfection, which is that of compassion.  Only when we have the heart of the Father, can we be compassionate towards others both materially and spiritually.Why then do we lack compassion for the sins of our fellow brothers and sisters? The root cause is that quite often, we fail to examine our own conscience and recognize our own nothingness and sinfulness.  Without consciousness of our sins, there can be no real repentance in our lives.  Consciousness of our sins is not simply thinking of how one should go through a list of sins and check those that we have committed.  Rather, consciousness of our sinfulness is to be conscious of how we have hurt our fellowmen or ourselves and most of all, the heart of God because of our wrongdoings.  Unless we feel the pain that we have inflicted on God, on our neighbours or on ourselves because of our sins, we will never be able to come to self-realization and make a decision to sin anymore.Indeed, when we become aware how we have hurt others by our sins, whether in thought, word and deed, then we become more sensitive and more conscious of what we think, say and do.  Most of all, if only we know how we hurt the loving heart of our Father and His Son and how we grieve the Holy Spirit, we would have stopped sinning completely.In other words, we must be aware of the consequences of our sins.  When we grasp the seriousness of our sins, surely, we will realise that we deserve punishment.  But others have often been merciful to us, and especially God who has forgiven us time and again.  The patience, tolerance and long-suffering love of God for us in the face of our sinfulness should compel us to change.It is for this same reason that during the season of Lent, we are encouraged to reflect on the passion and death of our Lord so that we will be moved by His love and mercy for us to change our hardened hearts.   The spiritual exercises of Lent, whether of fasting, prayers and almsgiving are meant to help us get in touch with ourselves, with others and most of all, with the love and mercy of God.  If there is a lack of repentance in our lives, it is due to a shallow prayer life and superficial self-knowledge because of an unexamined life.However, if we come to a point when we become aware of the depth of our sinfulness and ingratitude, then we will seek genuine forgiveness both from God and from our fellowmen.   Like the psalmist, we would pray with a contrite heart, “Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.  Remember not against us the iniquities of the past; may your compassion quickly come to us, for we are brought very low.”Today, let us follow the example of Daniel who, in the first reading, prayed a most beautiful penitential prayer.  Not only did he confess his solidarity with the sins of the nation, but he also interceded for his people.   He placed his total confidence in God’s mercy and he knew that unworthy as we are, God will always forgive us when we are repentant.  What is significant in his prayer of forgiveness is his admittance of his guilt and that of the nation without excuses.  Furthermore, he accepted the punishment or rather, the consequences of their sins without being resentful of God.  His humility in acknowledging his guilt and God’s mercy is the hallmark of a genuine prayer of contrition.During the season of Lent, we must therefore begin with a personal contrition for our own sins as individuals.  However, following Daniel’s example, we should also be ready to endure the crosses that come from our collective culpability as a community of sinners.  It is because we are all sinners that we too must share the pain that comes from the consequences of our sins.  Instead of becoming resentful and angry especially when we suffer innocently, let us shoulder some of the weight of the heavy cross with Jesus and offer them as redemptive suffering for ourselves and the whole of humanity.  Let us in our suffering plead with God for mercy and forgiveness and for the gift of repentance and contrition.If we follow this path of compassion as exhorted by Jesus, we will find ourselves becoming more loving and forgiving.  We will also be more compassionate and sensitive to the needs of others, accepting their human frailties since we recognize ourselves in solidarity in both  sin and grace.  We will also be able look at each other positively, remembering their strengths and overlooking their weaknesses.In this way, we have more energy to do our work, think clearly and live our lives in peace instead of investing our energy in negative thinking by condemning others.  Truly as Jesus promised us in the gospel, “Give, and there will be gifts for you: a full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap; because the amount you measure out is the amount you will be given back.”  Indeed, the reward of compassion and forgiveness is a life of true freedom and joy because nothing, not even the sins of others, can cripple us in our love for others and the inner joy within us.  

WRITTEN BY THE MOST REV MSGR WILLIAM GOHARCHBISHOP OF SINGAPORE

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