The scripture of today’s mass speaks of the importance of love and forgiveness.
In our Old Testament passage (Sirach 27:30-28:7), God instructs us that we must forgive any and all injustices perpetrated against us. God tells us that to NOT forgive – to hold onto anger, vengefulness, and hate – is not only sinful, but will also prevent healing and peace. It is by extending forgiveness that we are able to overcome those things which are stumbling blocks to reconciled relationships with each other, and our own inner peace.
In today’s gospel passage (Matthew 18:21-25), Jesus uses the parable of the wicked servant to make the same point – that we must extend compassion, mercy, and forgiveness to each other at all times. Jesus reminds us that as recipients of God’s unconditional love and unmerited and limitless forgiveness, we must extend the same to others. Jesus also reminds us that to NOT forgive intrudes upon our relationships – not only our relationships with each other, but most importantly our relationship with God.
In his letter to the Romans (Romans 14:7-9), Paul reminds us that “we do not live for ourselves… we live for the Lord”. When we consider Paul’s words in the context of the other two scripture passages, we see that if we live only for ourselves we might be inclined to justify why we don’t need to forgive. If we live only for ourselves we might tend to put limits on who, when, and what we forgive, to define boundaries across which we feel forgiveness can’t be offered. But as Paul suggests, if we truly live for God, then we will always try to push those justifications and boundaries aside. If we truly live for God we will forgive others just as we know God forgives us.
God asks us to love as He loves. God asks us to be merciful as He is merciful. God asks us to forgive as He forgives. So we go forward, confident in God’s love, mercy, and forgiveness, and with the assurance that God never asks of us that which He will not help us realize. We go forward with the confident knowledge of how blessed we are that God asks us – and empowers us – to imitate Him, to be God-like.