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 explains why. A servant owes his master an enormous debt that he could never repay. When he begs for mercy, the master does more than give him time. He forgives the debt completely (Mt 18:23-27). Yet, having received such extraordinary mercy, the same servant refuses to forgive a much smaller debt owed to him (Mt 18:28-30).

This is where the parable becomes uncomfortable. Jesus wants us to recognise ourselves in that unforgiving servant. Before we focus on what another person has done to us, we must remember how much God has forgiven us. Every time we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we ask, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us” (Mt 6:12). We cannot sincerely ask for God’s mercy while deliberately refusing to show mercy to others.

Sirach explains the point further in the first reading. “Forgive your neighbour’s injustice; then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven” (Sir 28:2). He asks, “Could anyone nourish anger against another and expect healing from the Lord?” (Sir 28:3). Resentment can keep a wound alive long after the original offence has passed. Forgiveness does not mean that the wrong was insignificant, nor does it mean abandoning justice. It means refusing to allow another person’s wrongdoing to control our heart.

In the second reading, St Paul adds another perspective to the topic of forgiveness. “None of us lives for oneself” (Rom 14:7). Whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord (Rom 14:8-9). Christian life is therefore not centered on our wounded pride or personal grievances. We belong to Christ, and our relationships with others must reflect the mercy we have received from him.

Let us note that forgiveness is not always immediate. Some wounds are deep, and healing can take time. Sometimes forgiveness is a decision we must make repeatedly, with the help of prayer and grace. But the journey must begin.

Therefore, let us bring our wounds before Christ. Let us ask for the grace to release resentment, seek reconciliation where possible, and entrust justice to God. We forgive not because the wound did not matter, but because mercy has already been shown to us. We have been forgiven, and therefore we are called to forgive.