by Fr. Oscar

The Christian community in which we live is where we can find the true meaning of our faith.

It is within this community we find different types of people, different social conditions, different levels of education, and different races. However, there is one unifying element that exists and this important element is our faith. Our faith is what allows our Christian community to remain firm in its beliefs and allows the Christian community to continuously grow.

We are called by the Lord in many various ways and for many different situations. Each one of us is called in ways that will help us to better recognize God’s work. Some pay attention to His call and others do not, but nevertheless the Lord continues to work forming the Christian community.

We know that this community, that we call the Church, is not only established for saints, as we constantly hear this repeated to us in the Gospel. The Church is established for all people, and it is recognized that some people do not live according to the word of the Gospel.

Then the question comes forth:

What should we do with those who sin?

What action should we take against those who have made mistakes and have not obeyed God’s will?

We have three solutions:

First – We could expel them forever from the Christian community and that would be the easiest solution.

Second – We could forgive them once and this would be the most logical solution.

Third – We could forgive them as many times as it is necessary and this seems to be an unwise decision.

But, to be fair is the decision that Jesus presents to us in today’s Gospel, when Peter asks Him: "Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive?" Jesus answered, "I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times."

Many times the Gospel does not respond to lifes’ difficulties in a way that we think it should or in the way that we believe. The words that are used in the Gospel as well as the solutions that are given to our daily problems appear incomprehensible.

The person who then has a weak faith may feel disillusioned with this Gospel. We must look deeper and ask a more profound question and only then we can find what the first reading from the book of Sirach says: "Remember your last days, set enmity aside: remember death and decay, and cease from sin!"

We are always being asked the question: "Why do Christians always talk about forgiveness, sacrifice, the crucifixion, and Christian community?" We can forcefully answer: "We believe and we wait for eternal life."

Why do you forgive my brother so many times? It is as many times as Our Lord has forgiven you.

Why do you have compassion for this person who has offended me? Well, because Our Lord has had great compassion for you who has offended Him with so many sins.

Jesus never gets tired of showing us the right way, and for that same reason they crucified Him, His words seemed impossible to keep.

Dear Brothers and sisters,

The theme of forgiveness is not outdated, neither is it simply a word to use when praying the Our Father.

Forgiveness is a fundamental requisite for living in a Christian community. A Christian community that does not have forgiveness as a fundamental element, is a community that will die little by little.