“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.
Forgiving that much may not be good news in our culture, especially our judicial culture, which justifies and even institutionalizes resentment and revenge. As is illustrated by the forgiving debtor in today's Gospel, unless we understand the importance of forgiveness and practice it in our relations with others, we will never achieve inner freedom. Instead we will be prisoners of our own bitterness and add harm upon harm.
In asking us to forgive, Jesus invites us to something far more liberating and expansive.
Photo by Brother Brian.Meditation by Father Dominic.
