Thursday, August 17, 2017
19th Week in Ordinary Time
1st Reading: Joshua 3.7-10a, 11, 13-17
Gospel: Matthew 18:21—19:1
Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, how many times must I forgive the offenses of my brother or sister? Seven times?” Jesus answered, “No, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
“This story throws light on the kingdom of heaven. A king decided to settle the accounts of his servants.
Among the first was one who owed him ten thousand gold ingots. As the man could not repay the debt, the king commanded that he be sold as a slave with his wife, children and all his goods in payment.
“The official threw himself at the feet of the king and said, ‘Give me time, and I will pay you back everything.’ The king took pity on him and not only set him free but even canceled his debt.
“This official then left the king’s presence and he met one of his companions who owed him a hundred pieces of silver. He grabbed him by the neck and almost strangled him, shouting, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ His companion threw himself at his feet and asked him, ‘Give me time, and I will pay everything.’
The other did not agree, but sent him to prison until he had paid all his debt.
“His companions saw what happened. They were indignant and so they went and reported everything to their lord. Then the lord summoned his official and said, ‘Wicked servant, I forgave you all that you owed when you begged me to do so. Weren’t you bound to have pity on your companion as I had pity on you?’ The lord was now angry, so he handed his servant over to be punished, until he had paid his whole debt.”
Jesus added, “So will my heavenly Father do with you unless each of you sincerely for give your brother or sister.”
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)
The maxim “It is easier to forgive than to forget” is a convenient excuse to leave reconciliation hanging. But don’t we all have problems with remembering? The passing of time surreptitiously plucks important details from what we vividly remember today. If the above quote has any basis it could only be because the will is involved. Some people prefer to etch on memory the hurts inflicted by others. “Babaonin ko sa hukay” is obviously an exercise of a person’s will power.
Focusing on the wound converts the hurt into graffiti on the walls of one’s heart. Unless redirected, the person will always remember, and he will never forgive. When one says it is easier to forgive than to forget, he is telling the other party to forget about forgiveness. But the graffiti is not indelible. When a person decides to forgive, the decision will wash out the graffiti, and forgetting will follow. – (Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM
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