Summary of a Fr. Gerry Creedon homily from June 17, 2007
"The Lord on His part has forgiven your sin; you shall not die." 2 Sam 12:10
I remember my first week in the Diocese of San Juan de la Maguana, Dominican Republic, back in '91. Fr. Guillermo Hoffman from Green Bay Wisconsin, Vicar General of this Mission diocese, offered me orientation. He shared with me an experience he had the previous evening. He was asked to attend a meeting with two mothers. One's son had killed the other's son a few days before. They met to offer forgiveness. It had very practical application. By taking the nettle by the stem, they wanted to avoid a vendetta that would lead to more death.
I wondered about the efficacy of this effort at reconciliation. Guillermo assured me that these two matriarchs had he moral authority with their clans to end the violence through this great act of mercy. I was taken aback at this event and was touched by this dynamic view of a priest's reconciling role. He literally presided while these two women did the tough work of conciliation.
Last week I listened to a story from Afghanistan on Public Radio. Would-be assassins had made an attempt on the life of President Karsai. They had been found and imprisoned. President Karsai ordered their release. His spokesman offered a rationale. In the traditional culture of Afghanistan, pardon meant that the offender could not injure the pardoner. American analysts could not fathom this logic especially since they believed that the Taliban had long jettisoned all traditional moral norms. Who knows?
Next week the parish welcomes the icon of Divine Mercy. The Grupo de Oracion de San Carlos de la Divina Misericordia will act as host for a week of prayer. Pope John Paul II fostered this devotion as a way of emphasizing God's unconditional love. We remember how he exemplified this value, visiting his assassin in jail to offer the healing gesture of forgiveness.
The gospel story presents two alternative religious responses to the offender. The Pharisee would exclude and stone the sort of woman who was touching Jesus. Jesus saw into her heart and found love and faith.
We learn about forgiving from our parents. Stereotypically fathers are the strict, exacting disciplinarians who focus on performance. Mothers provide the soft touch of forgiveness. On this Father's Day I would like to assert, not necessarily. In our house, my mother was often the one who was not satisfied with less than 100%. My father was the teddy bear. A local and much feared teacher we called Molly Mac, once rebuked my father with the words, "Johnny Creedon, you are a jelly fish. You have no back bone." He was bewildered by this attack. We, his children, knew exactly what she meant; he was full of mercy and forgiveness!
While we know that there must be accountability and justice, we also know that in the end, the scale must tilt toward mercy.
"You did not give me water for my feet, but she has bathed them with her tears."