Jesus tells Peter that he must be willing to forgive 77 times. That seems like a lot…until we think about how merciful God has been to us. Fr. David Romero, SJ, reflects on the boundless love and mercy of Jesus and how we need to be transformed by it in this week’s One-Minute Homily. Based on the readings for Sunday, September 13, 2020.
You want me to forgive them 7 times—wait, 77 times?! Psssst—man!
Hi, I’m David Romero, and this is my One-Minute Homily.
Jesus gives us one of those hard sayings. His parable is pretty clear. The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart. And forgiveness is at the heart of being Christ-like. But 77 times? That’s a lot!
And yet, it doesn’t take long for my heart to reveal its need for mercy. As well as the many experiences of mercy in my life. How many times did God forgive me, embrace me, trusts me, and call me, again and again?
I’m also reminded how often I forget Christ’s mercy, like the debtor in the Gospel. My heart hardens and becomes stingy. I can’t wrap my head around the boundless mercy shown to me. It can take a while for my head to catch up to my heart.
Today’s call is to allow Jesus to deeply transform me, so that the forgiveness I receive isn’t something that just happens to me, but also changes the way I see myself, others and the world.
