March 14/Second Saturday of Lent
For as the heavens are high above the earth, so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
As far as the east is from the west, so far has he put our transgressions from us. ~ Ps 103.11-12
Forgiveness is out of fashion these days, viewed in many quarters as a sign of weakness. Witness the lightning quick judgments of social media; read the savage recrimination heaped on a public figure who errs or strays. We are zealous, most of us, in requiting others according to their (perceived) offenses. Even in our relationships with family and friends, forgiveness can be hard to come by. Resentment over those annoying little habits of our spouse accretes in our hearts; bitterness at a long-ago slight from a friend or neighbor lingers in our minds. We hang on to our anger at and judgment of others while telling ourselves that we are merely “holding people accountable.” God shows us another way to deal with those who offend us: the way of forgiveness. This is not to be a grudging act, a muttered and inaudible “never mind.” No, we are to forgive extravagantly and exuberantly – much like the father of the prodigal son in today’s Gospel. The psalmist in these verses from Psalm 103 lays it out clearly using a rhetorical device known as “merism,” which uses diametrically opposite terms to convey the idea of totality – for example, “A to Z.” God’s loving forgiveness, we learn, extends as high as the highest height and spans as wide as the widest width. This is what we are called to emulate with that irksome spouse and that thoughtless friend: a true wideness of mercy that extends – to use another “merism” – from sea to shining sea.
O God of steadfast mercy, Give me the spiritual strength to wrap my arms of forgiveness around those who have hurt or offended me. Amen.
To hear the French ensemble Beata MvsicA perform Claudin de Sermisy’s “Benedic anima mea,” click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_va5adJ8fb0
For today’s readings, click here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/031420.cfm
