Thursday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time
“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.’” This answer of Jesus reveals to us that we are called to forgive as Jesus forgives, to love as Jesus loves, and to be perfect in patience as the King is in the parable. We often say to God “be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.” We seek God’s mercy and have faith that God’s love and the redemption we have through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will bring us back from our debt of sinfulness. God’s patience exceeds our expectations for He forgives our debt in full, not asking to be repaid, and embraces us and brings us back into relationship with him.
Experiencing God’s patient love for us calls us to live in the love He has given us and then to become an icon of that patient love to all we meet. We must ask ourselves regularly, how do we respond when someone comes to us and says, “Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.” Do we refuse him our patience and love and hold a grudge against him? Or do we forgive them their debt in full without seeking repayment? Are we willing to forgive not seven times but seventy-seven times?
Reflection by Br. Placid Dale, OSB
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections