MATTHEW 18:21–19:1 FORGIVEN PEOPLE MUST FORGIVE

Year A, Thursday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time

In today's Gospel, Peter asks Jesus, "Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive? As many as seven times?" Peter probably thinks he is being generous, but Jesus answers, "Not seven times but seventy-seven times." He then tells the parable of the servant who was forgiven an enormous debt but refused to forgive someone who owed him very little. The message is clear: those who have received God's mercy must become people of mercy.

Forgiveness is one of the hardest things Jesus asks of us. Being hurt is painful, and some wounds run very deep. Forgiveness does not mean pretending that nothing happened or ignoring justice. It means refusing to let resentment control our hearts. Every time we pray the Our Father, we ask God to forgive us as we forgive those who trespass against us. The more we recognize how much God has forgiven us, the more willing we become to extend that same mercy to others.

Perhaps today's Gospel invites us to ask ourselves: Is there someone I am still refusing to forgive? Holding on to anger may seem to punish the other person, but it often becomes a prison for our own heart. Jesus does not ask us to forgive because the other person deserves it; He asks us to forgive because we have first been forgiven. When we place our hurts into His hands, He gives us the grace to let go, to find peace, and to experience the freedom that only forgiveness can bring.

With Love and Prayers

Your Co-Traveler