First Word

  "Forgive them, Father, they don't know what they are doing."

                                            by Archbishop Orlando B. Cardinal Quevedo, O.M.I.
When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left (Lk 23:33). Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots to divide his clothing” (v. 34). “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” Jesus utters this prayer after he was nailed to the cross like a criminal. It is a strange word, a word of mercy and compassion, a word of love. But it is a word of love not for those for who are closest to him. It is a word of love for his enemies. “Father, forgive them.” Yet it is not only for them that the word of forgiveness is given. It is for all those who have sinned against God, from the first days of creation to the end of time. “We are all one in Christ Jesus,” says Paul to the Galatians (Gal. 3:28). We live in the darkness of sin. Sin hovers over our broken world. The devil prowls like a roaring lion, seeking to lead us into sin, sin that separates us from God. Sin in various forms, sin of degrading God’s creation, sin of causing global warming, sin of genocide, the destruction of tribes, of cultures, of peoples of other faiths and religious traditions, sin caused by extreme nationalism, against God’s creation that causes environmental degradation and global warming, sin of genocide, the destruction of tribes, of peoples of different faiths, sin caused by extreme nationalism, sin against humanity. We consider the perpetrators as enemies. Yet the Lord tells us, forgive your enemies. Love even your enemies, pray for those who persecute you. Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. They do not know that the One they are crucifying is the Messiah. They cannot believe that the one they had been expecting could be a poor man from a poor village, with no royal title to himself. If they only knew, then would believe. So, Father, forgive them. We complain about those have forgiven. We have forgiven many times but harm and injury to us continue. Our patience has reached its end. We will no longer forgive. Peter asked Jesus how many times should we forgive. Seven times? Jesus answered, No, not seven times, but seventy-seven times (see Mt. 18:21-22). Always forgive. There is no limit. Our own experience of forgiveness is a testimony to God’s infinite patience. We have sinned countless times against the Lord. We confess the same sins over and over again. We repent, the Lord forgives. The Lord is never tired of forgiving us. It is a sign of his infinite love. We are always his beloved children. Imagine us as the Prodigal Son who squandered his inheritance in sinful living. Repentant, he returns to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.” (Lk. 15:20). So it is with us. We are the prodigal brothers and sisters of Christ. The Father does not wait till we reach home. He runs out to welcome us back to our home, our home with Christ and in Christ. Forgiveness ends all resentment and hatred, all division and conflict. Forgiveness leads to love, and love is a reunion with one another, a reunion with God, a reunion with Christ. He has made all this possible through his suffering -- his Passion, Death, and Resurrection (see Col. 1:20-22). Our oneness in Christ with one another, with God and his creation, is restored and renewed. An astounding and fascinating mystery of redemption through suffering and forgiveness. The mystery calls us to two imperatives: discipleship and mission. Jesus wants us, his disciples, to follow his way of forgiving, 77 times and not only 7 times. He wants us never to lose patience but be bridges of reunion with the Lord. He wants us to follow his commandment of loving our neighbor as ourselves, and that includes our “enemies.” That is the true test of the second commandment. The mystery of redemption through forgiveness calls us finally to mission. We see the world around us, full of biases, prejudices, resentment, hatred, division and conflict. St. Paul tells us that we should be ambassadors of reconciliation (see 2 Cor. 5:18-20). Our mission, then, is to proclaim the Lord and his message of reconciliation through mutual forgiveness. This is central to the one mission of evangelization, the proclamation of Jesus and his Gospel, “that they may all be one,” in the Father and in the Son (see Jn. 17:21)

Panalangin:

Merciful Lord, we thank you for your gift of forgiveness. We have made you suffer the pains of the Cross because of our sins. Yet you have shared your love with us. It is to redeem us from our sins and reconcile us with you that you suffered. Teach us, Lord, to forgive those that have hurt us and love them as you love us. O Mary, most merciful and most compassionate Mother, intercede for us before your Son that we might receive the grace of God and forgive others. Amen.

Archbishop Orlando B. Cardinal Quevedo, O.M.I. is the Archbishop Emeritus of the Archdiocese of Cotabato, Philippines. He is the former President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines and   former Secretary General of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conference.  He is currently residing in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and actively facilitating clergy retreats, giving conferences on issues of justice and peace, Basic Ecclesial Communities, Church Renewal.