Matthew 18: 21-22
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.
In today's gospel, Peter asks Jesus how often he should forgive his brother who sins against him, and Jesus responds saying that forgiveness should be limitless. It is really easy to read the parable Jesus tells after Peter asks this question and say to ourselves that we would never be like the first servant, who was forgiven for his debt but did not forgive the one who owed him too. The first servant put a limit on forgiveness and it made him hard-heartened.
When we realize that we are all sinners who are in need of forgiveness, it will be easy for us to forgive others, and I dare to even say, to forgive others limitlessly. We have to be forgiven in order to be able to forgive. If this is not understood then our hearts will become hard-heartened and it will be very hard to say "I forgive you" to anyone. So, a challenge for today and/or the remainder of Lent. Reflect on where in your life you need the Lord's mercy, because thankfully, God's mercy is greater than our sins. And then who in your life do you need to forgive.
Get to know our seminarians! Today's reflection was written by:
Andrew Zsebedics, Sophomore
Home parish: St. Lawrence
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Memento Mori
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