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Gospel Reading for August 14, 2025 – Matthew 18: 21- 19: 1
NON-NEGOTIABLE
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 the fellow servant 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 his brother from his heart.”
When Jesus finished these words, he left Galilee and went to the district of Judea across the Jordan.
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One cannot be called a Christian if one does not practice the virtue of LOVE. This is a NON-NEGOTIABLE item in the world of Christianity. As St. Therese of Lisieux said, “My vocation is LOVE!” In St. Paul’s description of LOVE in his letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 13: 4-13), it is even absurd to ask how many times to forgive.
Love has been planted in us since we were born. It is one of the attributes that we got from God. But, as everything planted needs nurturing, we need to nurture it until we become experts of loving.
God loves us dearly so he never gives up on us. Jesus explicitly tells us in the parable of the wicked servant that we are expected to treat others the way God treats us.
Yes, Lord, help us make that little love in our hearts grow, all for your greater glory!
