Forgiveness Sunday 2023

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and

of the Holy Spirit. Glory to Jesus Christ. Isn't

it wonderful that today is Forgiveness Sunday?

Some people approach Lent with trepidation. Going

off on a journey, for example. Not sure exactly

how the journey is going to go. If you're going

to get through it, okay. But Lent is not that.

Lent is a time of healing. Lent is a time when

the hymns say we should set out with joy. Listen

to what St. Basil the Great says. Don't make

being healed gloomy. This is just what Jesus

just said. When you fast, don't look gloomy.

Why? Because what you're doing is entering into

a whole new realm when you fast. Jesus says,

don't spend a lot of time working for things

that are just going to rust away and be of no

use at all. Put your effort into something that's

eternal. So, that's God. That's God. We should

be joyful. So St. Basil says also, don't be made...

Don't make being healed gloomy. It's outrageous,

he says, that you don't rejoice over your soul

being healed, but you mourn over changing food.

It's a little bit of change in our diet. St.

Basil says, you seem to be giving more concern

to your stomach than your spirit. So we have

trepidation. The Lord, in this gospel, lays out

three things. So the church on this day, which

is called by us, forgive this Sunday. The Lord

lays out these three things. He says, forgive.

Forgive. If you want to be forgiven, forgive.

If you don't forgive, you can't be forgiven.

It's not because God is some tyrant and he's

put his foot down and he has some temper tantrum

and says, you're not going to play with me, I'm

not going to do it. That's not what it is. It's

because if we can't forgive, we are unable to

receive. I'll say something more about that in

a minute. The second thing he says is to fast.

Jesus says, to fast. So our Lenten effort is

going to start with forgiveness today. After

the liturgy, we'll have lunch. We'll come back

here, we'll have the vespers, and we'll ask forgiveness

of one another. The third thing that the Lord

says is, put your effort, and I made reference

to this already, put your effort in things that

matter. St. Paul, insistently, with urgency,

he says to us today, this is high time. It's

high time to awake out of sleep. Our salvation

is nearer now than when we first believed. That's

true. Every day we are closer to the coming of

Christ in glory, to the resurrection. And that's

for sure one day closer to our death. It's high

time to awake out of sleep and to put our effort

in things that matter. We waste. So much time.

And time is a gift from God. St. Paul says the

night is far spent. The day is at hand. Wake

up. Let's walk properly in the day. Not in revelry

and drunkenness and all this stuff. But put on

the Lord Jesus Christ. Let me say two things

about today. And I'll keep it short. It's a joyful

day. Because we remember. When we heard those

psalms at the beginning of liturgy, Bless the

Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless

his holy name. What he has done for us. This

is a great song reminding us what God does for

us. And the first thing he does is shown right

there on that blessed cross. Father, forgive

them for they know not what they do. Do you think

he's just speaking to the Roman soldiers that

put the nails in? Or to those authorities that

arranged for the crucifixion? He's speaking to

us. About us, rather. To the Father. We don't

have a problem with God forgiving us. We come

to the church. It doesn't matter what sin we

might have. I have to say, though, I'm reminded

somebody asked me once, what sin do I have to

ask God to forgive me for? What have I done to

him? He put me in this world which is a mess.

There's sickness. There's anger. There's wars.

What do I have to ask God for forgiveness for?

For not being a human, that's what. For not being

how God has created us to be. Which is like him.

We come to the church, any sin can be forgiven.

I can stand here in front of this altar, an unworthy

priest, an unworthy person. What gives me, as

one priest said in a sermon I heard some time

ago, he said, St. John Chrysostom, St. Basil

are wondering, why do they let this priest, Lawrence,

stand in front of the altar at a divine liturgy?

He has so many sins. But I can go to the Lord.

and confess them and receive not just tearing

up a piece of paper, but the cleansing of my

heart, the grace of God to be put in there, to

be forgiven, to be joined, to be united to him,

to become a little bit like him. You can come

to confession any time. God forgives. It doesn't

matter what the sin was. But there's one, that's

the church. Whatever sins you forgive on earth,

they're forgiven in heaven. Whatever sins you

retain on earth, they're retained in heaven.

Jesus says to the apostles, this is the church.

But if you want that forgiveness, there's one

requirement. One only. And it has to do with

love. And that is, you forgive those that have

sinned against you. Many of you, I know, have

experienced terrible betrayals. Your wounds are

still bleeding from those sins against you. Not

all of you, some of you. And it's very difficult

to forgive. But forgiveness is not a psychological

act. In the Bible, as far as I can find, Jesus

never said anything about how we might feel about

forgiveness. There's not a word in there. So

forgiveness is an act, not a feeling that our

enemy is going to be our friend and everything's

going to be okay. Again, I direct your attention

to the cross. That was a forgiveness that wasn't

offhand. No problem and easy. We were bought

with a price. So, we have the church, we come

to be forgiven, and we have our relationships

with one another, which are founded on love.

That's why today is such a joyful day. Because

it's the restoration of God's love in us. And

our sharing that love with one another. Not in

an emotional way. Might be. Not in a sentimental

way. Not in a way that maybe even feels good.

But in a godly way. Following the way of the

cross. Which is our pathway now as we start Great

Lent. making our way to Holy Friday and the day

of resurrection. May God give you strength. As

you fast, this is not something we do optionally.

As you pray more, and you go to your room secretly,

God will reward you openly. How? You'll be smiling.

You'll be glad because the Lord will be with

you. And finally, The effort you put into that.

Brothers and sisters, if we don't remember that

it's kind of getting late for us, then we're

not going to do anything. But if we remember

every year the Lord saying when we get to Lent,

it's high time awake out of sleep, then the effort

we put in is going to be for our salvation and

God's glory. And then, no one's going to say

to you, why should I ask God for forgiveness?

Because you will be the sign of God's mercy and

love on this earth. And show him that. That's

beautiful. That's the truth of to be a temple

of God, baptized and anointed with the Spirit.

May God help us all as we struggle through these

40, well, 50 days. God giving us strength to

do it joyfully with faces bright and full of

expectation. Amen.