Tuesday – Third Week of Lent
Gospel – Matthew 18:21-35
How Many Times Must I Forgive?

Wailing Wall, Jerusalem

In today’s Gospel, Peter wants to know – how many times must I forgive another?  Once?  7 times? Jesus responds – 77 times? In other words, always! Then He uses a parable to illustrate His point.

Why should I forgive someone else for hurting me? Why should I do it once, much less 7 times? They should ask for forgiveness first, then maybe! How can I possibly forgive 77 times? Fool me once, shame on you! Fool me twice, shame on me? The Golden Rule directs us to love our neighbor as ourselves. Forgiveness works the same way. The Our Father tells us: “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us”.

Turn the situation around. We are all human; we all make mistakes. How many times do we want to be forgiven? Only once?  If we hope for forgiveness for all our failings, then God calls us to offer forgiveness to others for their failings as well

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