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 March 14, 2010 Pastor's PerspectiveThe Hallmark of Jesus is his forgiveness. It puzzled his disciples ~ Remember Peter’s question? “How many times do I forgive my brother, 7?” “No”, said Jesus, “77 times!”Lent calls us to experience the profound gift of God’s mercy – the overwhelming mercy shown to the Prodigal Son. We are not in this alone. Our goodness, or lack of goodness, is not simply a matter of certain words and actions. It is a function of our relationships – all of them. Our relationship with God: This is primary, of course. It is Christ who justifies us, who takes away the sins of the penitent. We must always strive to know God’s will and to follow it as closely as possible. Our relationship with the church: We will make mistakes, both in judgment and action, and the church exists to guide us in our choices, to encourage us in our faith, and to extend forgiveness when we have fallen. The community of other Christians is essential to our life in Christ. Our relationships with one another: The prodigal son needed the forgiveness of his father, but also the acceptance of his brother. Likewise, the elder brother could not truly please his father until he welcomed his errant sibling home. We must extend the forgiveness we receive to all those who need it of us. As John Paul II wrote: “The forgiven penitent is reconciled with himself in his inmost being, where he regains his innermost truth. He is reconciled with his brethren whom he has in some way offended and wounded. He is reconciled with the Church. He is reconciled with all creation” (in CCC, 1469) (Kathleen M. Carroll) Happy Lent – may we all experience the Joy of the Prodigal Son’s return and the Father’s embrace. Peace, Fr. Chuck
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