Mt 18:21-35
Peter approached Jesus and asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive? 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 your brother from your heart.”
Sep 11, 2011 Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 9, 2011 by ordinary guy
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‘The Master had the servant handed over to the torturers until the debt was paid in full.’……………..Now, looking at this more closely, isn’t this an indication of a process of ‘purgation’ (Purgatory), that so many of the anti-catholics condemn us for believing in?
I accept fully that Jesus died for us to pay our ransome and remove our indebtedness to The Father, but unless we, too, are perfect before the Father then there may well be some debt yet to pay.
I accept my sinful state and I acknowledge that I can never forgive fully those who have sinned against me. There was a man who I befriended and helped and he stole my wife away. I do forgive both of them, but not perfectly as Our Father forgives us, and that niggling hurt inside my soul keeps gnawing away at times and I have to try the forgiving process all over again. I am far from perfect and it is this imperfection that will need a process of purgation before I am worthy to face my maker.
The anti-catholics can rant and rave all they want, and come up with the classic: “Show me where, in the Bible, purgatory is mentioned?” Well I would suggest that they read and understand fully this text from Jesus own lips and dare to suggest that their forgiveness of others is perfect in the eyes of God! For me, that would be too much like the Pharasie saying just how wonderful he was compared to the poor sinners he sees around him.
With love,
Paul
Forgiveness. Easily said but hard to fulfill. The hurts we face pierces our hearts whenever the wound is uncovered. The anger and hatred resurfaces and doesn’t seems to go away. Yet Jesus forgives. He forgave the woman who committed adultery, forgave those who persecuted him and hung him on the Cross. To create a bridge for us back to the Father. Our wounds can only be healed if we forgive others for the hurts they have caused us. The same wounds that will be cleansed and healed in our hearts when we seek forgiveness from the Father for the hurts we have inflicted on Him. With prayers and acts of mercy in our daily lives that we can be closer to the Father giving us the strength to forgive.