THURSDAY, TWENTY THIRD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1 Cor 15: 1-11 Ps 118: 1-2, 16-17, 28 Lk 7: 36-50
LOVE OF THE FORGIVEN SINNER
Love is understood in various forms and expressions. Human love always depends on give and take policy, whereas, spiritual love does not count the cost. The love of a sinner who has experienced forgiveness is a spiritual love, in which, we identify the following features:
Awareness of sinfulness: Rather than saying that we are all sinners, it is needed to realize that sin is within us; reflect and know its consequences, how it ruptures our relationship with God, with others, with oneself and nature. This truthful awareness of our sin leads to hating sin and embracing good.
Acceptance of sins: Even with a deeper awareness of sin, we may not take responsibility for our sins blaming others or situations for our sins. We need to consciously take responsibility for our personal sins. We should deeply feel that we have committed sin and we need to overcome our sinfulness.
True Repentance: Genuine awareness combined with truthful acceptance of sin takes us to true repentance. We do not see our sin in seclusion or in isolation; we see our sins in the context of God’s merciful love and forgiveness. This brings about a deep sorrow for the sins, a stronger resolution to avoid sin, and the grace of repentance.
Experience of Divine Forgiveness: True repentance leads us to experience God’s forgiveness. We realize that we do not merit forgiveness, but God out of His generosity and love forgives us. This is a positive experience of God’s nearness to the sinners.
Love in Return: In experiencing forgiveness, we are transformed. We are able to return love in various ways. It begins with a deeper sense of gratitude to God and others. The forgiven sinner becomes a channel of God’s love and grace through their prayer, words and deeds, understands others’ struggles, and stops judging or condemning them.
All these nuances of forgiving love, when lived with conviction, will turn us into holy people.
Response: Give praise to the Lord, for he is good.
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