Faith and Forgiveness

Lent is a time to prepare ourselves for the promise of salvation and the risen Christ. This journey leads us to reflect on our own lives, and how we can continue to share the love of God. Faith allows us to trust and believe in the good works of the Lord. Forgiveness cancels debts yet it is more than debt, since the act of forgiveness allows us to communicate with each other and learn to love our neighbor. Both faith and forgiveness are challenges that we face daily and the journey of Lent reminds us of that struggle.

The first reading introduces us to the prayer of Azariah. It praises the will of God and how three men thrown into a fiery furnace are spared their lives because of their faith alone. These men are devout since they do not bow down praising the new statue of the King. Shadrach, Mesach, and Abednego are humble men who are placed in the flames, yet their praise of deliverance is answered by God. They claim aloud that others have made them into a sacrifice. Their faith is stronger and they ask not to be put to shame but to bring kindness and mercy to them. We too can find this faith when facing challenging obstacles in our lives. The prayer of these men is finally answered - they are unharmed and unburned. Seeing this, King Nebuchadnezzar brings the men out of the fire and promotes them to high office (perhaps an anecdote that we too can be given greater glory with God). Again the faith of these men is a reminder that in times of struggle our faith placed in God can be a shield that protects us from harm.

Today’s gospel also reflects a sign of faith and asks us to look at the virtue of forgiveness. In the parable of the unmerciful servant, Peter asks Christ how many times should a person offer forgiveness. Christ responds that the answer should be “seventy-seven” but likens the response to a King who has settled an account with his servants. This gospel reading serves as a reminder that as one person has forgiven a debt of another, every fellow man should return the favor and forgive others. The unmerciful servant, who did not show the same kindness of the king and did not have similar compassion to his other servant, reminds us of the troubles we can face when we allow our minds to lead with fear and anger. Forgiveness is a challenge since we are asked to drop certain feelings and resentment toward someone for a mistake or a flaw. As human beings we wish not to harm others yet we are imperfect, and today’s scripture reminds us that we should trust in God, have faith, and learn to forgive others so our heavenly Father will do the same for us at the time of judgment. We can be reminded how to work on forgiveness from the words of the Our Father: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

Thus let us find a way to be strong, devout, and faithful like the three men in the fire from Daniel’s reading. In Matthew’s gospel, there is much we can learn from both servants and the king in the parable. Forgiveness is key to enter the Kingdom of God. By continuing on the renewal and the promise of baptism and celebrating true love with others, we can allow Christ to enter into our hearts this lenten season. 

 May God always bless you and your loved ones, amen.

Author: Raul Ornelas, Sophomore Counselor