The Gospel presents one of the most demanding teachings of Jesus: forgiveness without limits. Peter believes he is being generous when he suggests forgiving seven times. Christ responds by expanding forgiveness beyond calculation, revealing that mercy cannot be reduced to numbers. The parable that follows contrasts the immense compassion of God with the narrowness of the human heart. A servant who has been forgiven an enormous debt refuses to show mercy to another. The tragedy is not merely his harshness, but his failure to remember the grace he himself received. Forgiveness does not deny injustice, nor does it pretend that wounds do not exist. Rather, it places judgment in God’s hands and frees the heart from becoming imprisoned by resentment. Sirach warns against nurturing anger, while St Paul reminds us that our lives belong to the Lord. The more deeply we appreciate God’s mercy toward us, the more capable we become of extending that same mercy to others.

PRAYER: Abba Father, forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Amen.