NINE LITTLE WORDS

A while back the Gallup people did a study in which they asked one simple question: "What word or phrase would you most like to hear sincerely uttered to you?" The first two responses were not surprising. In order they were: 1) "I love you"; 2) "I forgive you." We all want to know we are loved and we all want to be forgiven by those whom we may have hurt or truly have hurt. The third response was: "Supper is ready."

It probably should not have been so surprising because it is all so logical. We do not sit down to share a meal with someone we don't love and cannot forgive. But if we can share a meal, look across the table at the other, then there is at least a modicum of love and forgiveness present. Sadly, of course, sometimes we simply tolerate the other sitting across the table from us, and vice versa. But it is at least a beginning to true love and true forgiveness. We need to start somewhere!

Even more, if you think about it, those three phrases, those nine little words, are really a short summary of what our life of faith is about. As Christians the first order of business, if you will, is to love the other person. Once we love another, then we can forgive another. But we cannot forgive someone if we don't love that person. Loving comes first. And because we are all and always sinners, because, for whatever reason we seem to be able to hurt the ones we love, and, in fact, do hurt them, we will always be in need of forgiveness and always need to forgive.

Then we can sit at table with the ones we love and have forgiven and who love and have forgiven us. Again, we cannot and will not share a meal with someone whom we have refused to forgive. Others will never sit down to share a meal with us if they cannot find it in their hearts to forgive us. There is no love without forgiveness and no forgiveness without love.

That is why the Eucharist is such a wonderful symbol of who we are as Christians. We come together each week to share a meal with people we love, whom we have sinned against and who have sinned against us; whom we have forgiven and who have forgiven us. We share that meal as a sign of our love. We know that it is through the grace and  strength we receive from the Eucharist we share that we can continue to say over and over again, "I love you. I forgive you."

Supper is always ready and we all look forward to sharing that meal, that Eucharist. But the question remains: Are there those with whom we refuse to share a meal, to share the Eucharist? If there are, then we need to recognize the fact that there is some unfinished business in our faith lives, some words we still have to find in our hearts to accept and on our lips to say: "I love you and I forgive you."

Once we have found the grace and strength to do that, to say that, then we can ask together, "Is supper ready?" Then we can sit down together in love and forgiveness, but not until then. Nine little words but deep and meaningful words. Is there anyone in our lives who needs to hear them?