Ukrainian Catholic ChurchAustralia, New Zealand and Oceania
Homily by Fr. Taras Gorpynyak on the Cheese-fare Sunday
February 11, 2024
Let’s start Lent with forgiveness, mercy, and doing good deeds. And let’s travel all these days with Christ in prayer, fasting, and thanksgiving, without complaint or sadness. Let’s do good deeds for the glory of God and the good of our neighbours.
In today’s Gospel, our Lord Jesus Christ invites us to forgive the sins of our neighbours and teaches us that the forgiveness of our own sins depends on whether we have forgiven the sins of our neighbours. “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14–15). Therefore, if we do not forgive the sins of our neighbours, then our Heavenly Father will not forgive us our sins. We are standing on the threshold of Great Lent, so let’s try to start it with sincere forgiveness of our neighbours, not keeping in mind the sins that our neighbours have committed against us. “He who asks forgiveness from God but himself withholds evil from his neighbour, sharpens his own sword” (St. John the Golden-mouthed).
Next, the Son of God draws our attention to fasting and how to observe it. He again invites us to spend the time of fasting not in public but in secret. “But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Mt 6:17–18).
Jesus Christ ends today’s Gospel with a request that we do not lay up for ourselves treasures—material things here on earth—but lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven. What treasures is the Saviour talking about here? He talks about good deeds—about good deeds that we do for our neighbours.
Beloved in Christ! Let’s start Lent with forgiveness, mercy, and doing good deeds. And let’s travel all these days with Christ in prayer, fasting, and thanksgiving, without complaint or sadness. Let’s do good deeds for the glory of God and the good of our neighbours.
