DAILY- HOMILY

01 March 2016

Tuesday, 3rd Week of Lent 

Violet.       

Dn 3:25, 34 – 43 / Mt 18:21 – 35

Gospel Reading: Mt 18:21– 35

Then Peter asked him, "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, his 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 begged 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 fellow servants 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 you sincerely forgive your brothers and sisters."

Reflection

Forgiveness is a recurring theme in our faith, because it is one of the cornerstones of Christianity, and because it is one of the hardest virtues to practice. 

In the parable, an official owed the king a huge sum of money and could not repay him.  When the official pleaded for mercy and promised to pay the debt in due time, the king relented and even wrote off the debt. But this same official put a fellow servant in jail because the latter couldn't repay him for a much smaller debt.  When the king heard of this, he became justifiably angry and put the official in jail.

"So will my heavenly Father do with you unless each of you sincerely forgive your brother or sister?" (Mt 18: 35)  Forgiveness is mending a broken relationship so it can become whole again.  We ask for this grace when we recite the Lord's Prayer: "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us."  How many times should we forgive someone? Jesus says, "seventy times seven times," which means forgiving – wholeheartedly forgiving – over and over again.  

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WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY

     Jeffrey N. Sarmiento

     Marie Joy Salita

     Marissa Ducut

     Myrasol A. Orosa

     Rose Rivera

IN MEMORIAM (+)

     Dolores A. Unson (BDAY)

Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers and for those who need our prayers the most. 

Have a good day!

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