Homily for Thursday of the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time - St. John Chrysostom

For daily readings, see http://www.usccb.org/nab/091307.shtml

It is one of the graces of the sacrament of reconciliation that a priest does not really have an option to be merciful or unmerciful. I suppose on those rare occasions someone may come in who is not contrite, and thus could be denied absolution, but it is much more likely that the proud will never venture near a confessional. I suppose also that a priest can make things difficult by failing to listen or by being lukewarm in the way he celebrates the sacrament. But by a large, a priest is in the confessional for one reason, and for one reason only, to give the gift of forgiveness. The priest does not have a decision to make with every penitent – whether to be merciful or unmerciful. He can only be merciful.
Jesus tells his disciples that the Lord is kind to the ungrateful and to the wicked. In the same way, there is no way for a priest to judge who deserves forgiveness, and it is not his job to pronounce a sentence that is adequate punishment for the crime committed. The priest has only one gift to give – the mercy won by the cross of Christ.
St. Paul tells the Colossians to be thankful, and to show this gratitude by saying and doing everything in the name of the Lord Jesus. The way we can be thankful for Christ’s ultimate gift of healing to us – his forgiveness of our sins and his victory over death – is to be as generous as He is. He is not stingy with His gifts, but hands over to us everything He has received from His heavenly Father. In giving thanks to Christ, we hand over our ability to judge whether another person is worthy of our love and forgiveness. Instead, we hand over to them everything we have received from our heavenly Father, and most especially the forgiveness we have received. Instead of judging others, let us pray that others will become holier than us, provided we become as holy as we should be!