last home visit

This third Sunday of the Lenten season has been so meaningful to me.

I went for Mass in Greenbelt chapel today. I also had my confession. Though we had sharing in the seminary about this Sunday’s gospel last Friday, I kind of forgotten about it. This is one reason why I started to miss the weekly benedictions, which allow us to have a preview of the Sunday gospels.

Anyway, I was clueless about the gospel when the celebrant started reading it. It was about the fig tree. The master wanted to cut the tree because it wasn’t productive. However, the caretaker wanted to salvage it, and wished for another year for it to blossomed. He promised to take care of it, to nurture it, and to make every possible thing to make it flower and bear fruit.

I recalled what I shared with Jomar and Del about the gospel (my sharing mates this month). This passage consoled me because it reminds me how patient God can be in showing us how he loves us, how willing he can be to wait for us to recognize how silly can we get sometimes.

The mass lasted for only 45 minutes but the celebrant got my admiration because of his succinct presentation of his homily. He delivered three things about forgiveness:

• Forgiveness happens anywhere, everywhere.
• Forgiveness is an action word. We manifest it. We express it.
• Forgiveness puts us in a vicious cycle.

The message struck some chords in me because I just had an experience of God’s compassionate love, having been to the confessional box.

I also am aware that there are certain individuals who have hurt me, either intentionally or otherwise, who also seek for my forgiveness.

It’s less than a month, and I wanted things to be ironed out. I am willing to forgive, but I feel that I need some space.