“How often must I forgive?” Peter asks Jesus. The Lord’s parable and the first reading from the Book of Sirach make it clear that forgiveness is a non-negotiable component of Christian life. May we kneel before the crucifix and pray for the grace to put this teaching into daily practice.
Mary’s sorrow is witnessed in both Gospel options today: Luke’s passage speaks of the “sword of sorrow”, and John’s text reveals Mary’s agony before the Cross of her Son.
John 3:16 is perhaps the most well known verse in the Bible, revealing the magnitude of God’s love poured out for us through the death of Jesus on the Cross.
This exhortation from the Letter to the Colossians inspires us to put our focus on Christ, and put to death those things that are not worthy of heaven.
Here are some of the themes that we find in the Mass readings for the 24th Sunday of the Year.
1st Reading – Sirach 27:30-28:9
While wrath and anger are hateful things, the sinner hugs them tight.
If a person expects mercy and pardon for sins, enmity must be set aside.
Psalm – 103:1-4,9-12
“The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger, and rich in compassion.”
God pardons, heals, and redeems us out of kindness.
2nd Reading – Romans 14:7-9
None of us lives or dies for oneself, but for the Lord.
Christ has died and rose that he might be Lord of the dead and the living.
Gospel – Matthew 18:21-35
When asked by Peter how often must he forgive his brother, Jesus offers a parable about a servant who failed to forgive someone in a small way after he had experienced great forgiveness from his master.
The Lord then applies the parable to us all: we must forgive one another if we expect to be forgiven by God.
Jesus offers a path through conflict and animosity, helping us to constructively engage in deep conversation where talking and listening are crucial in order to heal and grow in grace.
Three Great Things 