For Giving and Forgiving
by Fr. Steve Zabala — Parish Priest
The Festive Christmas season has ended followed by a few weeks in Ordinary Time.
The Christmas season was a time of heartfelt generosity, especially in CTK. We launched Casa Setenta, a campaign to raise P70 million from 700 donors in 7 months, from December 7, 2019 to July 7, 2020 for Casa de Silencio, the retirement home for priests and spiritual center of the Archdiocese of Cubao. The response was nothing short of phenomenal. In just about six weeks from its launch, the CTK community was able to raise P21 million, which is thirty-one percent of its July target. This was apart from fundraising spurts for calamity victims of Typhoon Ursula in Mindoro and Taal Volcano’s destructive eruption. Once again, CTK’s enthusiasm to help all sectors—from the sick and elderly priests to disaster victims—was immediate, relentless, consistent, and sustained.
CTK’ s all-out support even gave birth to Casa Secciones, another my to realize the goal for July through the sponsorship of rooms or sections of the retirement home. This community’s compassion and generosity never ceases to amaze me. Time and again, CTK has shown its character that is “for giving” and has shown that acts of mercy and a compassionate attitude are not for the season of Christmas alone.
Lent is upon us. It’s a season of fasting, penance, and almsgiving. It’s also a season a forgiving, a mercy and compassion. More than any other time, Lent is when the faithful seek forgiveness. They do penance. They give and receive mercy. Wounds are healed.
In the Gospel, we read, “Peter came and said to him, `Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?’ Jesus said to him, `Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times” (Matthew 18:21-22).
You may interpret Jesus’ answer to mean that we have to forgive 490 times. But seven is a perfect number in the Bible, so what Jesus actually means is that forgiveness should be endless.
This illustrates the richness and depth of the mercy of the God. No matter how big our sin is, His love is bigger. His mercy is greater than our greatest sins. God shows us that we should also pass on this mercy to others and and be forgiving just as He is.
Such is my prayer for CTK. As we seek God’s forgiveness, may we also seek penance, heal wounds, and be forgiving. As God continues to pour His mercy and compassion upon us, may we always nurture that immediate, consistent, and sustained attitude for giving.
God’s mercy is boundless. May our generosity also be as relentless.
Wishing you all a prayerful Lent!
