Tuesday
10 March 2026 –III Week of Lent
Mass Readings:
Dan 3:25. 34-43 Ps 25 Mt 18:21-35
Key Verse to Meditate:
Jesus said to him, "Not seven times, but I tell you, seventy-seven times.
(Mt 18:22).
The Gospel Reading
In today’s Gospel, once
again Jesus insists on the practice of forgiveness, which must
characterize the life of His disciples. Our forgiveness must be countless
and tireless, and perhaps this is what costs us the most. Very often, we
can barely forgive our brother or sister, and even when we do, we tend to
attach conditions—making it clear that the same mistake must never be repeated.
We find it extremely difficult to forgive repeatedly, as if it were the first
time. It is not easy for us to have enough patience and love to continue
trusting a person who may offend us again—twice, ten times, or even a thousand
times. Such is human nature, and such is the condition of our hearts: we
tend to place limits on our love.
We do not know whether
Peter had his own brother Andrew in mind when he asked Jesus this question. Nor
do we know whether Andrew might have repeatedly annoyed Peter by committing the
same fault again and again. Yet Jesus’ answer is unmistakably clear: “I do
not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy-seven times” (Mt 18:22).
Through these words, Jesus teaches us the difficult but necessary lesson that
forgiveness cannot be calculated or negotiated. Whenever a brother or sister
sincerely asks for forgiveness, it must be granted. This is precisely the
lesson that Jesus illustrates through the parable of the unforgiving servant.
The love of the Father, on
the other hand, is infinite and unconditional. God our Father
continually forgives us, and we know that He has countless opportunities to do
so. His ardent desire is that we, who constantly receive His mercy, may in turn
become merciful toward our brothers and sisters. The offenses we are
called to forgive will always be insignificant when compared to the countless
sins that God forgives in our lives without keeping account.
The First Reading
Today’s first reading
presents to us the prayer of Azariah in the fiery furnace (Dan 3).
Standing in the midst of the fire, Azariah remembers God’s mercy and
faithfulness. It is an unimaginable sign of God’s favor that these three men
were protected by the angel of the Lord and saved from the flames. Their faith
stands as a powerful example of fidelity and trust in God.
When we remain faithful,
God never abandons us—even in the most difficult moments of life. More than the
three young men asking Yahweh to remember His covenant and promises, it is
actually the Lord who faithfully remembers the covenant He made with the
Patriarchs. They pray with humility:
“For your name’s sake do
not give us up utterly, and do not break your covenant. Do not withdraw your
mercy from us, for the sake of Abraham your beloved, and for the sake of your
servant Isaac and Israel your holy one” (Dan 3:34–35).
Their prayer for life and
mercy was accepted because it came from a humble and contrite heart.
They recognized their nothingness before God’s greatness and mercy. They asked
the Lord to accept their contrite spirit as a sacrifice, since there was no
possibility of offering burnt offerings, sacrifices, oblations, or incense (Dan
3:38–40). They promised to follow God’s commandments faithfully and to seek His
presence alone. In response, God answered their prayer and delivered them from
the fiery furnace.
The Gospel reading from
Matthew comes from the final section of chapter eighteen, a passage that
has no exact parallel in the other Gospels. It begins with Peter’s question: “Lord,
how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven
times?” (Mt 18:21).
Rabbinic teaching at the
time suggested a limited forgiveness—usually up to three times—which was
already considered reasonable. Peter therefore thought he was being generous by
suggesting seven times. However, Jesus reveals the merciful heart of the Father
by teaching that forgiveness must be without limits. He replies: “I do
not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy-seven times” (Mt 18:22).
This phrase reminds us of
an Old Testament passage in which Lamech boasts of unlimited vengeance,
saying: “If Cain is avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy-sevenfold” (Gen
4:24).
In that ancient context,
revenge had no limits. Jesus completely overturns this mentality. Instead of
unlimited vengeance, His disciples are called to practice unlimited
forgiveness. Just as the Old Testament world often justified endless hatred
and retaliation, Jesus now establishes a new rule for His followers: there
must be no limit to forgiveness and mercy. The disciple of Christ is not
commanded to count offenses but to forgive without counting. Our
forgiveness should not be merely quantitative, as if measured by
numbers, but qualitative, flowing from the heart. In short, there
must be no limit to forgiveness.
In the parable of the unforgiving
servant, we encounter a servant who owes his master ten thousand talents
(Mt 18:24), an unimaginably large sum. Unable to repay the debt, he begs for
mercy. The master, moved with compassion, generously cancels the entire debt
rather than selling the servant and his family.
However, the same servant
soon encounters a fellow servant who owes him only a hundred denarii—a
very small amount in comparison. Instead of showing mercy, he demands immediate
repayment and throws the man into prison. When the master hears about this
injustice, he revokes his mercy and punishes the wicked servant.
Through this parable, Jesus
delivers a powerful message, especially fitting for the season of Lent:
“So my heavenly Father will
also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from
your heart” (Mt 18:35).
This teaching echoes Jesus’
earlier words: “But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father
forgive your trespasses” (Mt 6:15).
Forgiveness must come from
the heart. As the Letter of James reminds us: “For judgment will be without
mercy to anyone who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment” (Jas
2:13).
“Forgiveness from the
heart” stands in complete contrast to “hatred from the heart” (cf. Lev
19:17; Prov 26:24). God expects His children to imitate His mercy. The
limitless mercy God shows toward us becomes the model for our own
relationships with others.
Forgiveness
as the Response to God’s Mercy
The central message of the parable is clear: we
are able to forgive because God has first forgiven us. God continually
forgives our sins, failures, and weaknesses. Our response to this immense mercy
should be a heart that is also ready to forgive others.
This truth is reflected in the prayer that Jesus
taught us in the Our Father: “Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive
our debtors.”
Every time we pray these words, we remind ourselves
that our forgiveness from God is closely linked to our willingness to
forgive others. God delights in a humble and simple heart that is ready to
forgive.
Points
for Personal Reflection
The prayer of Azariah can
also become the prayer of our own hearts: “And now with all our heart we follow
you; we fear you and seek your presence” (Dan 3:41).
During this season of Lent,
we must ask ourselves: Do we truly seek the Lord with all our hearts?
Forgiveness is learned only
by forgiving others. When forgiveness seems difficult, we must look to the
Cross of Christ, where Jesus forgave even those who crucified Him. From the
Cross we receive the strength and grace to forgive.
Will the world ever fully
follow the teaching of Christ? That question remains open. But a more important
question concerns each one of us: Are we, as disciples of the Lord, ready to
practice this teaching in our families and communities?
“I do not say to you, up to
seven times, but up to seventy-seven times” (Mt 18:22).
Let the world do what it
will. But are you and I ready to forgive from the heart?
