WHITE HOUSE JESUIT RETREAT

St. Louis, MO 63129

1-800-643-1003

Jesuit retreat center high on the bluffs of the Mississippi River in St. Louis, MO.  Since 1922, thousands of people from around the world make annual three-day silent, guided retreats here to relax, reconnect with God and strengthen their spirituality.  A true gem in the Midwest!  Call 314-416-6400 or 1-800-643-1003.  Email reservations@whretreat.org  7400 Christopher Rd.  St. Louis, MO 63129

Both men's and women's retreats are offered as well as recovery retreats.

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Weekend Reflections for 9/15/17

September 14, 2017  /  Joe Parisi

Forgiveness is not a duty.  It is a gift.  A duty is regularly performed by our own strength.  We don't have the strength to forgive.  The sooner we admit that the better.  

Peter approaches Jesus in this Sunday's Gospel and asks how often must he forgive the offense of his brother (poor Andrew :)  Even seven times, a number of fullness?   Jesus overwhelms him with his answer:  "Not seven times but seventy-seven times" [or seventy times seven, as some translations have it].  Peter is rather deflated with the answer.  He doesn't have that kind of forgiveness in him.  Nor do we.

So Jesus proceeds to tell a parable outlining where one receives the ability to let go of the offenses of our brother/sister early and often.  "A king decided to settle accounts with his servants...[and] a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount."  That debtor would be you and I, perfectly described here, before the King of kings.

The king, upon seeing our homage and our prayer for mercy, "...moved with compassion let him go...and forgave him the loan."  THERE is the source of our mercy towards others!  We have to receive it from God.  We have to beg for it first.   Then we will see our offending sister or brother with the eyes of God.  Then we will experience God forgiving them through us.

Our obligation then is not to forgive others "seventy-seven times" by our own strength, but rather to beg God regularly for his forgiving strength to work in and through us toward the one who has offended us over and over.  "Whatever you ask the Father in my name will be given you."