FORGIVEN AS WE FORGIVE
Homily for the Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Fr. Ugochukwu Ugwoke, ISch Sirach 27:30-28:7; Romans 14:7-9; Matthew 18:21-35 There are hurts we remember for years. The one who hurt us may have apologised, the situation may have passed, and life may have moved on, yet something within us still holds on to the injury. This is why forgiveness is one of the most difficult demands of Christian life. It is easy to speak about forgiveness, but much harder to forgive when we have genuinely been hurt. Peter’s question in today’s Gospel is therefore very human. “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive?” He suggests seven times, probably thinking he has gone far beyond what could reasonably be expected. Jesus responds, “Not seven times but seventy-seven times” (Mt 18:21-22). The point is not to establish a larger number. Jesus is teaching that Christian forgiveness cannot be reduced to a calculation. Mercy must become a way of life. The parable that follows exp...
