24th Sunday A

Welcome to our Bible
Study
24th Sunday in Ordinary Time A
17 September 2017
In preparation for this Sunday’s Liturgy
In aid of focusing our homilies and sharing
Prepared by Fr. Cielo R. Almazan, OFM

1st reading: Sirach 27:30—28:9
 30 Wrath and anger are hateful things, yet the sinner hugs them
tight. 1 The vengeful will suffer the LORD'S vengeance, for he
remembers their sins in detail. 2 Forgive your neighbor's
injustice; then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven. 3
Should a man nourish anger against his fellows and expect
healing from the LORD? 4 Should a man refuse mercy to his
fellows, yet seek pardon for his own sins? 5 If he who is but
flesh cherishes wrath, who will forgive his sins? 6 Remember
your last days, set enmity aside; remember death and decay,
and cease from sin! 7 Think of the commandments, hate not
your neighbor; of the Most High's covenant, and overlook faults.
8 Avoid strife and your sins will be fewer, for a quarrelsome man
kindles disputes, 9 Commits the sin of disrupting friendship and
sows discord among those at peace.
The focus is on being forgiving (opposite of being vindictive).

1st reading: Sirach 27,30—28,9
 30 Wrath and anger are hateful
things, yet the sinner hugs
them tight. 1 The vengeful will
suffer the LORD'S vengeance,
for he remembers their sins in
detail. 2 Forgive your
neighbor's injustice; then when
you pray, your own sins will be
forgiven. 3 Should a man
nourish anger against his
fellows and expect healing from
the LORD? 4 Should a man
refuse mercy to his fellows, yet
seek pardon for his own sins?
5 If he who is but flesh
cherishes wrath, who will
forgive his sins? 6 Remember
your last days, set enmity
aside; remember death and
decay, and cease from sin!
Commentary
 The Book of Sirach (Ecclesiasticus)
belongs to the Wisdom Literature.
 The reading is full of sayings.
 27,30 does not endorse wrath and
anger. But the sinner is so stupid to
“enjoy” them.
 In v.1, God disapproves vengeance.
 V.2 approves forgiveness. To forgive
leads to be forgiven, when we ask for
forgiveness.
 V.3 says “Forget healing (well-being), if
you nourish anger (if you have rancor).
 V.4 says it is a contradiction to seek
forgiveness, while we have no mercy.
 The message of v.5 is the same as v.4.
 V.6 reminds us of our temporariness
(death), to be converted.

1st reading: Sirach 27,30—28,9
 7 Think of the
commandments, hate not
your neighbor; of the Most
High's covenant, and
overlook faults. 8 Avoid
strife and your sins will be
fewer, for a quarrelsome
man kindles disputes, 9
Commits the sin of disrupting
friendship and sows discord
among those at peace.
 V.7 is more positive. It talks
about the commandments and
the covenant and avoidance of
hate and faultfinding.
 V.8 asks us not to be a
troublemaker, or, troublesome,
to avoid committing sins
(hurting others).
 V.9 is a continuation of v.8,
saying that the quarrelsome
(troublesome) violates
friendship, and destroys good
relationships by sowing
intrigues and malice.

Reflections on the 1st reading
 We must learn how to be cool.
 It is very hard to be cool if we are impatient and a
war freak.
 It is not acceptable to harbor hatred against another.
 You cannot pray if you are full of hate.
 You can obtain mercy only if you love and are
forgiving.
 Are you full of wrath and hatred?
 Do you create troubles in your family?
 You can do something better.

Resp. Ps 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12
 R. (8) The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger, and rich in
compassion.
1 Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
 3 He pardons all your iniquities,
heals all your ills.
4 redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and compassion.
 9 He will not always chide,
nor does he keep his wrath forever.
10 Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
 11 For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
12 As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he put our transgressions from us.

Resp. Ps 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12
 R. (8) The Lord is kind and merciful, slow
to anger, and rich in compassion.
1 Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
 3 He pardons all your iniquities,
heals all your ills.
4 redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and
compassion.
 9 He will not always chide,
nor does he keep his wrath forever.
10 Not according to our sins does he deal
with us,
nor does he requite us according to our
crimes.
 11 For as the heavens are high above the
earth, so surpassing is his kindness toward
those who fear him.
12 As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he put our transgressions from us.
Commentary
 The psalm is the prayer
of a prayerful person.
 He blesses God. He is
thankful to him.
 He recognizes God as:
 Forgiver and healer, v.3
 Redeemer or savior and
compassionate, v.4
 Cool, not always in the
fighting mode, v.9
 Not vengeful, but
considerate, v.10
 His kindness is beyond
limits, vv.11-12

Reflections on the Psalm
 We must have a good perception of God.
 We must see him as compassionate and
forgiving, not vindictive.
 When we have a correct perception of who
God is, we will have no fear to approach him
for mercy.
 Our life becomes a celebration, always
blessing God.
 Are you blessing God, thanking him always?

2nd reading: Romans 14:7-9
 7 None of us lives for oneself, and no one
dies for oneself. 8 For if we live, we live for
the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord;
so then, whether we live or die, we are the
Lord's. 9 For this is why Christ died and
came to life, that he might be Lord of both the
dead and the living.
The focus is on living and dying for Christ.

2nd reading: Romans 14,7-9
 7 None of us lives for
oneself, and no one
dies for oneself. 8 For
if we live, we live for the
Lord, and if we die, we
die for the Lord; so
then, whether we live or
die, we are the Lord's.
9 For this is why Christ
died and came to life,
that he might be Lord of
both the dead and the
living.
Commentary
 V.7 seems to be
philosophical, which
means like “nothing exists
for itself.”
 No man is an island.
 V.8 specifies that we,
Christians, live and die for
Christ.

Reflections on the 2nd reading
 We, Christians, cannot live in isolation.
 We are consecrated to Christ.
 Our life and death, our whole being, is to be
dedicated to Christ (the forgiving Christ).
 We are not at all wandering on earth without
direction.
 No act, no thought, no energy we spend uselessly.
 What do you think of yourself, your activities and
sacrifices? Meaningless? NO. You/They are all for
Christ.

Gospel reading: Matthew 18:21-35
 21 Then Peter approaching asked him, "Lord, if my brother sins against
me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?" 22 Jesus
answered, "I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.
 23 That is why the kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to
settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began the accounting, a debtor
was brought before him who owed him a huge amount. 25 Since he had no
way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife,
his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt. 26 At that, the
servant fell down, did him homage, and said, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay
you back in full.' 27 Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him
go and forgave him the loan.
 28 When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants who owed
him a much smaller amount. He seized him and started to choke him,
demanding, 'Pay back what you owe.' 29 Falling to his knees, his fellow
servant begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' 30 But he
refused. Instead, he had him put in prison until he paid back the debt. 31 Now
when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply disturbed,
and went to their master and reported the whole affair.
 32 His master summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave
you your entire debt because you begged me to. 33 Should you not have had
pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?' 34 Then in anger his master
handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt.
 35 So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his
brother from his heart."
The focus is on forgiveness.

Gospel reading: Matthew 18,21-35
 21 Then Peter
approaching asked
him, "Lord, if my
brother sins against
me, how often must I
forgive him? As many
as seven times?" 22
Jesus answered, "I
say to you, not seven
times but seventy-
seven times.
Commentary
 Vv.21-22 is about
forgiving one’s brother,
who hurt us many many
times.
 For Christ, there is no
limit to forgiveness.
 Christ teaches us to
forgive erring brothers
and sisters always.
 No conditions
whatsoever.

 23 That is why the kingdom
of heaven may be likened to
a king who decided to settle
accounts with his servants.
24 When he began the
accounting, a debtor was
brought before him who owed
him a huge amount. 25
Since he had no way of
paying it back, his master
ordered him to be sold, along
with his wife, his children, and
all his property, in payment of
the debt. 26 At that, the
servant fell down, did him
homage, and said, 'Be patient
with me, and I will pay you
back in full.' 27 Moved with
compassion the master of
that servant let him go and
forgave him the loan.
 In vv.13-33, Jesus tells a parable
of the kingdom in which
forgiveness is a sterling value.
 Forgiving is part of living in the
kingdom.
 V.23 begins with a king settling
accounts with his servants.
 V.24 presents a debtor of huge
amount, which cannot be paid.
 In v.25, the master orders the
debtor to be sold, also his family
and property, to be able to pay the
debt.
 In v.26, the debtor asks for
compassion.
 In v.27, the master grants his
request. He is freed of the burden
of debt.

 28 When that servant had
left, he found one of his fellow
servants who owed him a
much smaller amount. He
seized him and started to
choke him, demanding, 'Pay
back what you owe.' 29
Falling to his knees, his
fellow servant begged him,
'Be patient with me, and I will
pay you back.' 30 But he
refused. Instead, he had him
put in prison until he paid
back the debt.
 31 Now when his fellow
servants saw what had
happened, they were deeply
disturbed, and went to their
master and reported the
whole affair.
 In v.28, the debtor bumps into
a fellow servant and requires
him to pay the little amount he
owes to him.
 In v.29, the fellow servant asks
for consideration.
 In v.30, the debtor refuses (to
forgive), puts him to prison,
until he pays everything.
 V.31 describes the reaction of
the other servants, who, in
turn, report what happened to
the master.

 32 His master summoned
him and said to him, 'You
wicked servant! I forgave you
your entire debt because you
begged me to. 33 Should
you not have had pity on your
fellow servant, as I had pity
on you?' 34 Then in anger
his master handed him over
to the torturers until he should
pay back the whole debt.
 35 So will my heavenly
Father do to you, unless each
of you forgives his brother
from his heart."
 In v.32, the master
summons the servant (now
considered wicked),
reiterating his forgiveness.
 V.33 implies that the one
who obtains forgiveness
should forgive others also.
 V.34 implies that the one
who does not forgive will be
punished.
 V.35 says that God will
forgive us only if we forgive
sincerely our brothers and
sisters.

Reflections on the gospel
 Forgiveness is the name of the game.
 To live in God’s kingdom is to lead a life of
forgiveness.
 We forgive because God has forgiven us first.
 We have no right to withhold forgiveness.
 Forgiveness is canceling the debts (atraso).
 Forgiveness is loving the erring brother or
sister, who repeats the same mistake.

Tying the 3 readings and the Psalm
 The first reading talks about being cool and
forgiving.
 The psalm talks about the forgiving God.
 The second reading talks about centering life on
(the forgiving) Christ.
 The gospel reading talks about infinitely forgiving
others.

How to develop your homily / sharing
 Are you a forgiving person?
 Do you find it hard to forgive?
 What’s your problem?
 The readings teach us to be forgiving
persons.

 The gospel reading teaches us to always forgive our
brothers and sisters.
 There is no limit to forgiveness.
 We have no right to withhold forgiveness, when
people apologize to us.
 We forgive because God has first forgiven us.
 God knows we have greater sins than our erring
brothers and sisters.
 We have been forgiven more.
 So, we must forgive others. This is the logic of God.
 We cannot do otherwise, or else… God will come
and get us.

 The first reading teaches us to be cool and
relaxed.
 If we are hot headed, if we have a lot of
hatred in our hearts, it is very hard to forgive.
 As humans, we need to forgive, to forego the
fault of others and to give them another
chance.
 Like the gospel, the reading teaches us that
to obtain forgiveness, we must forgive others.

 The second reading makes us realize that we,
Christians, are not living for nothing, but for
Christ.
 We are not living a life isolated from Christ.
 We do not waste our life by living without
anyone to love and to forgive.
 We are important and valuable in God’s eyes.
 Christ came to live and die for us, to make us
his own.

 The psalm presents God as a forgiving God.
 He forgives all our sins and iniquities.
 God is not vindictive.
 He is merciful and kind.
 If this is our God, then, we have to respond to
him, by being like him.

 The world teaches that “vengeance is sweet.”
 Seemingly, people can only “sit back and
relax” when they are able to retaliate.
 Retaliation is the name of the game.
 Psychology says that when you cannot
forgive others, the truth is, first of all, you
have not forgiven yourself.
 Be kind to yourself and to others.

 In our churches, where forgiveness is being
preached, each member must experience
forgiveness from their pastors and from the
lay leaders, all the more.
 We cannot build our churches, fraternities
and families without forgiveness.
 Forgiveness does not mean you approve the
wrongdoings.
 Forgiveness means “let’s move on.” Let us
not be bogged down, or be derailed, by our
stupid mistakes.
 Forgiveness means “let’s learn from the
mistakes” and let’s begin again.

 The Catholic Church teaches that we can
experience forgiveness from God through the
instrumentality of the Church.
 The Sacrament of Reconciliation (confession)
is still the best way to be liberated from the
burden of sin and guilt, and to express our
faith in the forgiving God, who uses his
ordained priests to absolve us.
 In the sacrament, we are guided to our
proper conversion.

Our Context of Sin and Grace
 Unforgiving
 Vindictive
 Vengeful
 Low tolerance
 Attitude problem
 Does not know
him/herself
 Pride
 Impatience
 Woundedness
 Forgiving
 Merciful
 Understanding
 Confession
 Humility
 Courage
 Persuasive

Suggested Songs
 Pananagutan
 No Man is an Island

24th Sunday A

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24th Sunday A