Daily Catholic Lectio
Thu, 19 June 2025
Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time – Thursday
2 Corinthians 11:1–11. Matthew 6:7–15
The Condition of Forgiveness
“If you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
Today’s Gospel has two sections. In the first, Jesus teaches His disciples about prayer. He cautions them, “Do not heap up empty phrases.” Our words do not increase or reduce God’s greatness—His goodness is always constant. As a loving Father, He already knows what His children need.
In the second part, Jesus emphasizes forgiveness as a core element of prayer. He teaches that our act of forgiving others prepares the way for us to receive God’s forgiveness. God’s forgiveness is not conditional—but it becomes the measure by which we are called to forgive one another. Forgiveness is not a personal virtue alone; it is a bridge to reconciliation.
True peace is built on the foundation of forgiveness (Fratelli Tutti, 252). Forgiveness is the first step toward communion—with each other and with God (Dives in Misericordia, 14).
A man once told a priest that he was unable to forgive a friend who had hurt him deeply. “I’ve tried praying, I’ve tried letting go, but I can’t. The wound is too deep,” he said. The priest gently led him into the church and pointed to the crucifix. “Forgiveness,” he explained, “is not about forgetting the wound—it’s about not passing it on.”
The Risen Lord still bears His wounds. And by His wounds, we are healed. So let us not be the cause of new wounds in others.
We often hear that “to forgive is to forget.” But the truth is: even when we cannot forget, the journey of forgiveness begins. And in that moment, we begin to reflect the very heart of God.
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
Missionary of Mercy
Yesu Karunanidhi 
Leave a comment