“Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Give and gifts will be given to you;”
The power of despair is insurmountable without the help of God.
Despair in one’s life – the belief that there is no hope – can lead to so many roads of destruction. When I was young, I was certain that God was keeping close watch on all of my sins. There was no hope for me. I was heading to hell.
When one believes there is no hope, when they are certain they are heading to hell, then what is the use of trying to change? I stole a candy bar, might as well steal a car.
I have encountered many people, young and old, who have convinced themselves that they are at the point of no return. Whether it is adultery and divorce, crime and prison, selfishness and estrangement from loved ones … they can easily reach the point where they feel there is no turning back.
God is disappointed in them. He no longer loves them. They are no longer worthy to ask Him for anything. Not even worthy of seeking forgiveness. All is lost. Where can they seek comfort? Drugs? Alcohol? Suicide?
Today’s Gospel gives them the answer.
“Forgive and you will be forgiven” is not just about forgiving others. You must also forgive yourself. This is important. Just as one must love oneself before having the ability to love others, one must also forgive oneself to truly forgive others.
“Give … and gifts will be given to you.” That is not just about giving alms to the poor. You must also give yourself the gift of reconciliation. You must seek confession for the sins that you feel have separated you from God’s love.
This is the point that so many broken hearts and broken souls need to understand: Nothing you have done is so great that God will not forgive.
Nothing.
At our parish, we have a retreat weekend that spends a great deal of time on the first day, peeling away the layers of protection that we all build … exposing our true beings and making us temporarily vulnerable. At about this point, there is a surprise offering of the Sacrament of Confession.
Resistance kicks in for a few moments, but because it’s a special weekend, those on retreat typically allow themselves the opportunity to get back to God.
We are often told that this single experience, one of many other featured on the weekend retreat, was the one that mattered most. The confession of sins … the forgiveness of God … the lifting of the burdens that held them down for so long.
From that point, the gifts that God has given you suddenly become clear. They’ve always been there, but the despair you felt in your heart was clouding your vision.
How long has it been since you felt God’s love?
Forgive yourself … seek God’s forgiveness … and then embrace the hope of salvation that God give us through the Sacraments.
