“Seventy Times Seven”

Mr. Reese, do you really believe this or is it like the rest of your belief system {cafeteria Ctholicism}, to be discarded when it gets uncomfortable?

Father Reese,

Thank you very much for your wonderful post. I have e mailed it to certain people (Catholics like me indeed) who seem to be very confused on the matter of true forgiveness, repentance and reconciliation.

All too often forgiveness and repentance are reduced to some sort of fake polite civility, and with that countless opportunities for true reconciliation are lost, traded off for that which is fake, practical, convenient, expedient.

Reconciliation is further complicated by several factors and the process is not infrequently manipulated for sinful ends.

Memory is one of those key factors specially after many years have passed. Sometimes people truly do not remember, yet other times, when what has occured is exceptionally dramatic, it's impossible to believe that they don't.

Indeed, I have experienced a situation where (1) the victim is made out to be as guilty as the perpretator driven by the rationale that we are all sinners, as if that applied equally to all; (2) where the supporters of the victim forget the atrocity because as years have passed they have come to share the values of the perpetrator who has managed to fit well in society; (3) where in order not to wound, say those who were child victims, the sins committed are covered up and the child is told that both victim and perpetrator are to blame equally; leading the child to form an alliance with the perpetrator; (4) where all refuse to discuss it because it happened so long ago.

If others have experienced stumbling blocks such as the one I describe on the path to reconciliation, as I suspect in one way or another, many have, then this world is indeed quite burried in sin. Perpetrators use time as a way to hide their crimes and continue to deceive, since it seems so easy to do and to get away with.

Tragically, people die without anything resolved, and the original sin is deepened and turned into a web.

I think Jesus was quite aware of the complex consequences of sin, and tried, to steer us way from that when he addressed forgiveness and repentance. He still tries yet many want justive without mercy, or mercy that contradicts justice.

You have said it better than I. Thank you again.

J Daley -

I think you learn more going through RCIA after you have joined the Church and more each time through. I'd like to start an ongoing program to help more adults continue their education - but I am still working on it.

Jacob:

"I got hit by a car by an old man who had a heart attack behing the wheel and drove dead into me as I was playing "Stick Ball."

Gosh -what a horrible thing to go through. It must have slammed you down HARD. Did you lose conciousness? Have you had an MRI or EEG?

Good to "see" you, BigD. I agree that we need to do a better job educating our people. I participate in my parish's RCIA program (am pretty new at it), and do my best to be both thorough and compassionate. I've realized in this program how very much I have to learn myself. Keep up good work.

Big.D:

"need to do a much better job educating their people"

I'm from the South. We call it "Revival" : )

Annonymous -

I don't know! It is a very sad day in Mexico. How something like this passes in a country supposedly 90% Catholic - beyond me. I know there are some appeals but I was quite shocked. One of our parish priests is from Mexico and he also can't explain it. It brings me back to a point on here I make sometimes that all Christians, including Catholics, need to do a much better job educating their people.

A History of Disbelief
26 Apr 2007 09:23 am

Shhh. There's an upcoming PBS show that's atheistic in its approach to religion. Pharyngula has the scoop. Jonathan Miller, the program's author, is an extraordinarily civilized and brillant chap.

BIGD,

What"s happening to the good Catholics of Mexico?

"Mexico City's Legislature Votes to Legalize Abortion

By Manuel Roig-Franzia
Washington Post Foreign Service
Wednesday, April 25, 2007; Page A11

MEXICO CITY, April 24 -- After months of furious debate and threats of excommunication by the Catholic Church, Mexico City's legislative assembly on Tuesday overwhelmingly voted to legalize abortion for the first time in the capital's history."

Viejita del oeste-

I believe Rev. Reese's made the point in your last sentence exactly when he said:

"At the same time, the church has taught us that true repentance involves more than words. It involves a confession of guilt, sorrow for the offense, a firm commitment not to sin again, an attempt to right the wrong (restitution) and penance. Too often political apologies sound like “I am sorry that I was caught,” or “I am sorry you were offended,” or “I didn’t know what I was doing,” or “I didn’t do anything wrong, but as part of a plea bargain I have to plead guilty.” Asking for forgiveness when you are not really sorry and have no intention of reforming your life is a lie."

"Granting forgiveness does not magically restore the world to the way it was before the sin took place."
Exactly. And when forgiveness is seen as a license to keep behaving hurtfully, it too often leads to calls for vengeance from those who were victimized.