Today’s first reading highlights the universal, human tendency to sin, which deprives us of the glory of God. However, by that same Trinitarian God and His grace, “through the redemption in Christ Jesus,” we all have access to the forgiveness of sins “through the forbearance of God.” Forbearance in financial terms is the temporary postponement or reduction in a payment owed for a debt or loan. While this may allow for temporary relief to the one who owes the money, interest on the debt or loan usually continues to increase. But the forbearance of God is something entirely different. As one author in the article titled “The Difference Between Forbearance and Patience” writes, “God forbears with us when he bears with our faults done out of weakness, such as our habitual sins or those which we do without thinking…We are not deliberately wronging God, but our failings are still offenses against him.” In other words, God’s forbearance is His understanding of our weaknesses, willfulness, wounds, and temperament. He delights in helping us reach a place of repentance, trusting in His abundant kindness and infinite mercy. Our God does not merely give temporary relief from the debt of our sins when we turn to Him in trust. “With the Lord, there is mercy, and fullness of redemption” (Psalm 130:7).
As children of God in recovery, we must remember our belovedness and dignity. He is the best Father and takes delight when we run to Him for help, despite our weaknesses, and grow in dependence on Him by radically trusting Him to reveal His will for our little souls. The spirit of Step 11 can encourage us: we seek through prayer and meditation intimate union with God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. “I trust in the Lord; my soul trusts in His word. My soul waits for the Lord more than sentinels wait for the dawn” (Psalm 130: 6).
Reflection Questions
- How do you perceive the forbearance of God in recovery? Are you held captive by a distorted image of God where the “interest” of our sin accrues or by a healthy image where God sets us free with love?
- In what ways can you commit to renewing “your conscious contact with God” today?
Daily Mass Readings
First Reading: Romans 3:21-30
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 130:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6ab
Gospel: Luke 11:47-54
Reflection by Talitha R.