POWER IN FORGIVENESS
Correcting
others is a hazardous duty and must be done with humility and meekness. We must
also keep in mind the proper motive, which is to make present among us Christ's
Kingdom of unity and love.
The
prophet Ezekiel was God's messenger to proclaim a warning that the city of
Jerusalem would be destroyed because of the appalling sins of its people. In
effect, the prophet told the people that God was not to be blamed for their
coming misfortune since they were bringing punishment upon themselves. As a sign of God's good will, the innocent
would be spared, marked with an X. Actually the mark upon their foreheads was
to be the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet, Tau, which only resembles an X.
Ezekiel's
visions were all highly symbolic. It may be that the use of the last letter of
the alphabet was intended to mean that the innocent would find salvation only
on the last day, that though they would die they would be saved on the Great
Day of the Lord. That Day of the Lord has already arrived with Jesus and yet is
also to come in the future. This Day is not a period of twenty-four hours, but
the era for the unfolding of the Kingdom of God, which will reach its
perfection with the Second Coming of Christ Jesus.
Meanwhile
we pray, "Thy Kingdom come."
But we must also work for the realization of the Kingdom, a Kingdom of
peace, harmony and love. That is why Jesus preached that His followers must
seek reconciliation with each other. He calls upon us to point out a wrong that
may have been committed, especially one which destroys harmony and peace.
Correcting others is a hazardous duty and must be done with humility and
meekness. We must also keep in mind the proper motive, which is to make present
among us Christ's Kingdom of unity and love.
What's
the best way to repair a damaged relationship? Jesus offers us spiritual
freedom and power for restoring damaged relationships. He makes clear that we -
His followers - should not tolerate a breach in relationship among ourselves.
Sin must be confronted and help must be offered to restore damaged
relationships. When relationships between brothers and sisters are damaged,
then we must spare no effort to help; to get things right again if possible.
We
are called to pray and to seek reconciliation. Jesus also urges us to pray
together. Individual prayer is indispensable, but it can never substitute for
that community prayer where Jesus is present to unite us in love. The highest
form of community prayer is when Jesus is present to unite us in His love, at
the Mass! We all bear the mark, not of a Hebrew letter, but the baptismal sign
of union with Christ Jesus.