Daily Catholic Lectio
Tue, 5 March 2024
Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent
Daniel 1:2, 11-19. Matthew 18:21-35
Father and brothers
Today’s gospel reading is taken from the community discourse of the Gospel of Matthew. As far as Matthew is concerned, all the disciples are brothers and sisters, because God is addressed as ‘your Father in heaven.’ The disciples of Jesus have the right to call God their Father and have the duty to call each other their brothers and sisters.
One of the conflicting situations in community life is feeling hurt. When someone hurts us, we are not able to have a good relationship with him or her.
In this background comes the question of Peter asking the Lord to forgive the hurting ones. Jesus not only invites Peter to forgive unconditionally (seventy times seven) but also gives him a parable.
The underlying principle of forgiveness is establishing with the hurting person a fraternal relationship. The king in the parable was able to forgive the servant because he considered the servant to be his brother, while the servant was not able to forgive his fellow servant because he never considered him as his brother.
We who receive greater forgiveness from God must share it with others, at least on a small scale. And when God relates to us as our father, we must relate to each other as our brothers and sisters.
How do we practice the virtue of forgiveness?
(a) Often times, forgiveness is missing in fraternal relationships. The families suffer from a lack of forgiveness. Forgiveness is possible when we think of our humble beginnings at home. When we forgive, we in fact set the clock to zero again and begin over. The king began over with the servant, but the servant could not do so and therefore was punished.
(b) Forgiveness must be unconditional. Forgiveness is born of mercy, not justice. A person who transcends justice will be able to forgive others.
(c) The servant could not continue what the king began. He could not imitate the king’s action. He thought he knew things better. It is necessary that we imitate God in forgiving others and in showing mercy. The servant was calculating, while the king was generous. The cycle of forgiveness must continue to rotate.
The forgiveness of each other at the fraternal level is a condition for enjoying forgiveness at the paternal and filial levels.
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‘When we, who call God our Father, begin to call each other brother and sister, co-responsibility begins.’ (Jubilee A. D. 2025, bite 46)
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
Missionary of Mercy
Yesu Karunanidhi 
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