AGAINST WHOM YOU HAVE A GRIEVANCE

1Pt 4,7-13; Ps 95; Mk 11,11-26
1 JUNE
The disciple of Jesus must be like the heavenly Father, perfect as He, holy as He, merciful as He is; rich in love, pity, forgiveness and benevolence like Him. The Father for love of man has given his Only Son for his eternal salvation. He has not forgiven the sins of humanity, he has also expiated them. Jesus is on the cross. He hangs nailed on it. He forgives his executioners and prays to the Father so that he too may forgive those who are doing him evil, excusing them in his eyes. Without this relationship of true forgiveness, true reconciliation and true redemption, our prayer can never be heard by our God. Here is the reason. Prayer is always a conditional request. I listen to you if you listen to me. I will be merciful to you if you are merciful to your brothers. I will forgive you if you forgive. I will give you everything if you give me everything. I give you my heart and you will give me your heart. If the disciple of Jesus does not grant God’s desire, neither will God grant his wish. Prayer remains unanswered. The conditions set by God for its fulfilment are lacking.

The Father asks Jesus to immolate his life for the redemption of humanity. The Son obeys by annihilating himself to death on the cross. What the Father has asked him, He is doing it with all his love and every other virtue. Might the Father leave only one request of the Son unfulfilled? Never. His every prayer will always be heard. In this circumstance of the fig tree which dries from the roots, the fulfilment is not only linked to forgiveness, but also to faith. A clear word is also needed on faith. Before faith in the word that the Christian says or with which he commands, we must speak of faith in the Word that the Father has said to him and that he accomplishes with immediate obedience. If God speaks to the Christian and this does not listen to him, never will one of his words be heard by creation. He is deaf to his God, creation is deaf to him. On the contrary, he listens with love to his God and accomplishes what is commanded to him, even creation obeys and realizes what is asked of it. Listening to obedience. Even forgiveness is part of the purest and most holy obedience. Creation listens to the man that listens to God.

He entered Jerusalem and went into the temple area. He looked around at everything and, since it was already late, went out to Bethany with the Twelve. The next day as they were leaving Bethany he was hungry. Seeing from a distance a fig tree in leaf, he went over to see if he could find anything on it. When he reached it he found nothing but leaves; it was not the time for figs. And he said to it in reply, “May no one ever eat of your fruit again!” And his disciples heard it. They came to Jerusalem, and on entering the temple area he began to drive out those selling and buying there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. He did not permit anyone to carry anything through the temple area. Then he taught them saying, “Is it not written: ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples’? But you have made it a den of thieves.” The chief priests and the scribes came to hear of it and were seeking a way to put him to death, yet they feared him because the whole crowd was astonished at his teaching. When evening came, they went out of the city. Early in the morning, as they were walking along, they saw the fig tree withered to its roots. Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” Jesus said to them in reply, “Have faith in God. Amen, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it shall be done for him. Therefore I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours. When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance, so that your heavenly Father may in turn forgive you your transgressions.”

God, our God, before asking for something to man, lived everything in the flesh in His Only Son. Jesus did not forgive as resurrected, he did not ask pardon of the Father for his killers after thirty or forty years from his passion. He forgave and asked for forgiveness when his blood was live and came out of his wounds.

Mother of mercy, Angels and Saints make us great in forgiveness and mercy.