PRI Reflections on Scripture | Memorial of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, Priest and Martyr

Finding God In Our Hearts with Msgr. Don Fischer

Gospel

Matthew 18:21–19:1

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 the fellow servant 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 his brother from his heart."

When Jesus finished these words, he left Galilee

and went to the district of Judea across the Jordan.

Reflection

What always stands out to me in this passage is the fact that this man who represents humanity has been given an enormous gift, say $1 million, and turns around and beats up a buddy who owes him five. Why such a split between the two? It's because Jesus is making reference to the awesome gift of forgiving all of our sins in his act on the cross, and we won't forgive our brothers and sisters? when we refuse to forgive our brother over whatever they have done,

it's clear that we've lost sight of what's been done for us. That's the key to understand the redemption that Jesus won for us. Freedom from all sin.

Closing Prayer

Father, you ask that we face our sins, that we own them. But we often don't do that for fear that we will alienate ourselves from you or from ourselves or others. Lead us to a place we accept our selfishness. Face it and change. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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