Matthew18: 21-35
Peter approached Jesus and asked him, "Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?" Jesus answered, "I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. That is why the Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount. Since he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt. At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.' Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan. When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount. He seized him and started to choke him, demanding, 'Pay back what you owe.' Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' But he refused. Instead, he had him put in prison until he paid back the debt. Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master and reported the whole affair. His master summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?' Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart."
Dawg's Thought:
Today's prayer intention - for a return to the Church for those you know who have fallen away.
I was a table leader on a teen retreat this past weekend. They asked a lot of good questions as most of them were there because they were receiving their sacraments. For many of them, they even received their First Reconciliation.
They had a lot of questions in regards to God's mercy. There was even the question about confessing a sin that your confessed in your last confession. We reminded them that if Christ calls us to forgive seventy times seven, wouldn't Our God also do the same? They took great comfort in that.
The Gospel message is very challenging, including today's reading which calls us to forgive. Yet, in His calling for us, He reveals Himself. If He forgives us, we know that He does not abandon us. If He forgives us, we know that He desires that we be united to Him. If He forgives us, we can take comfort in knowing that we can humble and honest before Him.
If He does not abandon us, shouldn't we do what we can to bring those who chose to alienate themselves back to the Church?
Lord, forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
Take care and God Bless.
|
