FORGIVE!

August 14, 2025 Thursday within the 19th week in Ordinary Time: Year C Matthew 18:21–19:1 Forgiveness may be hard, but it is never beyond reach—because God is always here to give us the grace to do it. When Peter asked Jesus how many times he should forgive, suggesting seven as a generous number, he was thinking within the limits of human fairness. Jesus’ reply—“Not seven times, but seventy times seven” He pulled forgiveness out of the realm of calculation and placed it squarely in the realm of grace. In Scripture, “seventy times seven” is not literal arithmetic but a symbol of completeness, a reflection of God’s own inexhaustible mercy 70 times 7 was not about calculation, but it is about the heart shaped by mercy. In God’s Kingdom, forgiveness is not a rare favor we grant; it is the very air we breathe. To forgive without limit is to participate in the divine nature, for it is God who “is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love” (Ps 103:8). The parable that follows reveals the theological heart of forgiveness: it is always rooted in what we have first received from God. The king’s forgiveness of the servant’s unpayable debt mirrors the grace given to us in Christ. Our sins—an infinite offense against an infinite God—cannot be repaid by human effort. Yet in the cross, God cancels the debt entirely. Therefore, when we withhold mercy from others, we contradict the very grace that has saved us. Forgiveness is not a moral accessory to the Christian life; it is the fruit of salvation and the evidence that we understand the Gospel. To “forgive from the heart” (Mt 18:35) is not to excuse sin or abandon justice; rather, it is to release personal vengeance and entrust judgment to God, whose justice is always infused with mercy. This is a work of the Spirit in us, conforming our hearts to Christ, who from the cross prayed, “Father, forgive them” (Lk 23:34). Each act of forgiveness draws us deeper into the Paschal Mystery—dying to self, rising to new life, and revealing to the world that the Kingdom of God is a kingdom where mercy triumphs over judgment (Jas 2:13). To learn to forgive without limit, then, is to live the Gospel in its purest form, becoming living icons of the mercy we have received. Friends, forgiveness is not the same as forgetfulness, for forgetting is not truly forgiving. Forgiveness is an act of love, and in fact, it is the highest form of love. Never grow weary of forgiving, for true forgiveness knows no boundaries, and mercy has no end. Forgive as often as you can. If you want to uncover the secret to a joyful, healthy, and long life, the key is forgiveness. To live long, forgive daily. To stay healthy, make forgiveness your regular practice. To be truly happy, stop keeping a record of pains and hurts. And if you ever feel tempted to seek revenge, the most powerful way to carry it out is to forgive. Blessings Fr. Jhack