Thursday: Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 18:21-35.19:1. 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 him 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. Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB Commentary of the day : Saint John Chrysostom (c.345-407), priest at Antioch then Bishop of Constantinople, Doctor of the Church Homilies on Saint Matthew’s Gospel, no.61,5 (trans. Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers rev.) Be patient with me Two things Christ requires of us: to condemn ourselves for our sins, and to forgive others; and the former for the sake of the latter, that this may become more easy (for he who considers his own sins is more indulgent to his fellow-servant); and not merely to forgive with the lips, but from the heart. Let us not then thrust the sword into ourselves by being revengeful. For what grief has he who has grieved you to inflict upon you comparable to the one you will work in yourself by keeping your anger in mind…? See then how much you gain by bearing meekly the spiteful acts of your enemies. First and greatest, deliverance from sins; secondly, fortitude and patience; thirdly, mildness and benevolence; for whoever does not know how to be angry with those who grieve him will much more readily be willing to serve those who love him. Fourthly, to be free from anger continually, to which nothing can be equal. For of him that is free from anger, it is quite clear that he is delivered also from the despondency arising from it, and will not spend his life on vain labors and sorrows. For he that knows not how to hate, neither does he know how to grieve, but will enjoy pleasure, and ten thousand blessings. Indeed, we punish ourselves by hating others, even as we benefit ourselves by loving them. And besides all these things, you will be an object of veneration even to your very enemies, though they be devils; or rather, you will not so much as have an enemy while you are of such a disposition.
Posted on: Thu, 14 Aug 2014 20:39:19 +0000
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