APOLOGIES

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September 17, 2017
24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

First reading (Sirach 27:30—28:7)
Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12)
Second reading (Romans 14:7-9)
Gospel (Matthew 18:21-35)


Be patient with me. Please bear with me. Patawad. Pasensya. I remember the last time I said these words. It was during our preparation for and the actual synod days in the archdiocese that I overlooked a lot of things and details which made life more difficult for my brothers since they had to fill in for my shortcomings.  All I could say was: Sorry ah, babawi ako sayo/sa inyo sa susunod.

But can these words of apology mean anything on their own? In the gospel reading for this Sunday, we hear of the servant who, after being unable to pay for his debts, fell and begged his master, “Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.” The master was moved with compassion at these words and forgave him the loan. But the servant did not share his master’s mercy that upon seeing a fellow servant, who owed him a smaller debt, sent him to prison. What is the extent or depth of our apologies, our “be patient with me” in how we deal with others?

Apologies cannot stand alone or cannot have depth on their own. A true apology requires two things: motivation and action. In our first reading, we are asked to forgive the injustices of our neighbors just as God has forgives our injustices against Him; for how can we ask for something that we know we are not capable of giving? “Could anyone nourish anger against another and expect healing from the LORD?” Our apologies need to be followed up by our actions: our kindness and mercy towards others. These follow up actions will extend our apologies into good works.

In our second reading, we are invited to live for the Lord and to die for the Lord. Let us have our Lord as our motivation whether it be in living or in dying. In doing so, we may carry out our follow-up actions which will deepen our apologies. Our actions will have purpose and our apologies depth and sincerity.

Apologies have these two aspects, motivation and action, which will help us from just repeatedly making apologies for repeated mistakes without making any concrete resolution for a change towards the better. When we apologize, we make adjustments to ourselves to be better. When we apologize, may our motivation not simply be to get away from the consequences of our mistakes, but because we know we have committed sin and we have to pay for it, all in the name of our love for God. All in the name of God’s love. All in the name of God who is love.

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