SEVENTY SEVEN TIMES

August 14, 2025 Thursday within the 19th week in Ordinary Time: Year C Matthew 18:21–19:1 I remember a time when I felt so wronged that forgiveness seemed impossible. I replayed the words, the actions, and the betrayal over and over in my mind, as if holding on to the pain would somehow make it right. Like Peter, I found myself asking God, “Lord, how many times must I forgive? Surely there must be a limit?” But when I read Jesus’ answer—“Not seven times, but seventy times seven”—I felt both challenged and exposed. He was asking me to let go of my scorecard, to breathe the same mercy that I have received from Him so many times. Jesus is not giving us a calculator; He is revealing the heart of the Father. Divine mercy is not measured in installments. One day in prayer, I realized I was like that servant in the parable—freely forgiven of an unpayable debt, yet quick to hold another person hostage for something far smaller. It was a sobering moment. I had been on my knees countless times asking for God’s mercy, and every single time, He forgave me. Yet here I was, clinging to my hurt, unwilling to release it. That realization didn’t make forgiveness easy, but it made it necessary. It was no longer about what the other person deserved—it was about what God had already done for me. When I finally chose to forgive, it wasn’t a single grand moment; it was a process, sometimes a daily one. Each time the pain resurfaced, I handed it back to God. Over time, the bitterness loosened its grip. I learned that forgiveness doesn’t erase the wound, but it transforms it—it turns it into a place where God’s mercy can shine. And as I walked that road, I discovered something unexpected: in forgiving without limit, I was the one set free. Blessings Fr. Jhack