Carmelite homily for Lectionary 491 | Monday, November 11, 2019
In his Sayings of Light and Love, John of the Cross reminds us, “Your neighbor may be precious in God’s sight for reasons you do not have in mind.” In today’s Gospel Jesus says to forgive your brother; if he wrongs you seven times, forgive him seven times. Because that neighbor, your brother, yours sister, may be precious in his sight for reasons you do not have in mind. Since you do not know what motivates, you do not know the background, you do not know that person – you only know yourself and even weakly there sometimes – ‘forgive’ is the call of today’s Gospel. For, “Your neighbor may be precious in God’s sight for reasons you do not have in mind.”