Thursday, August 11, 2016
19th Week in Ordinary Time
1st Reading: Ezk 12: 1-12
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 English poet William Blake wrote a poem starting with, “It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend”. This must be the origin of the more familiar quote that says, “It is easier to forgive than to forget”. This finds support in experience. How amazing that even the most forgetful among us could remember vividly past hurts! An old woman keeps calling her husband “honey” because she just can’t recall his name. Yet she couldn’t forget the name of her neighbor who threw trash at her backyard years ago.
If hatred sharpens memory, then one can bleed to death as his memory rubs itself against the rough edges of hatred. He cooperates in his own perpetual persecution. Let’s think about the good we do to ourselves when we forgive and forget. If Jesus is asking us to forgive seventy times seven times a day, then forgiveness must really be good to both body and soul! – (Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM, MMExM, MAPM, REB. Email: dan.delosangeles@gmail.com.
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