Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 18, 21-35
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.
That is why the Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king
who decided to settle accounts with his servants.
When he began the accounting,
a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount.
Since he had no way of paying it back,
his master ordered him to be sold,
along with his wife, his children, and all his property,
in payment of the debt.
At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said,
‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’
Moved with compassion the master of that servant
let him go and forgave him the loan.
When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants
who owed him a much smaller amount.
He seized him and started to choke him, demanding,
‘Pay back what you owe.’Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him,
‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’
But he refused.
Instead, he had him put in prison
until he paid back the debt.
Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened,
they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master
and reported the whole affair.
His master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant!
I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to.
Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant,
as I had pity on you?’
Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers
until he should pay back the whole debt.
So will my heavenly Father do to you,
unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart.”
On Forgiveness
1. Approached Jesus. Forgiveness can be challenging because we tend to dwell on the past, sometimes letting our thoughts spiral and overanalyze what occurred. True forgiveness is about having the “gift” of letting go, even if it feels like a loss. Many people struggle with moving on, holding tight to what happened and letting their imagination add details to the situation or anxieties about what’s next. That’s why forgiveness is a gradual journey—accepting reality as it is and making a conscious decision to turn the page and look forward.
2. Settle accounts. Forgiveness and reconciliation are not the same. Forgiving is about letting go and moving on; it’s a personal process, necessary for your own inner peace. Reconciliation, on the other hand, is a mutual process that involves rebuilding a relationship of mutual acceptance and respect and isn’t always required. Sometimes, maintaining distance from the person who hurt you is healthier and more peaceful than trying to restore closeness. Forgiveness is an individual step you can always take, while reconciliation should only happen if it leads to a healthy and respectful relationship.
3. Time limit. Forgiveness and reconciliation both require time—neither happens overnight. Every situation and healing process has its own pace. Allow yourself the time you need to work through your pain. Only after you’ve processed what happened can you begin to forgive, and only then can you truly consider whether reconciliation is the right choice.
Always remember that something good is on the way!
God bless you and be with you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
