The Need for Forgiveness
St. Peter's Basilica
Panels of the Holy Door
Vico Consorti, 1949
| Mt 18:21-35 | ||
|---|---|---|
| # | Douay-Rheims | Vulgate |
| 21 | Then came Peter unto him and said: Lord, how often shall my brother offend against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? | tunc accedens Petrus ad eum dixit Domine quotiens peccabit in me frater meus et dimittam ei usque septies |
| 22 | Jesus saith to him: I say not to thee, till seven times; but till seventy times seven times. | dicit illi Iesus non dico tibi usque septies sed usque septuagies septies |
| 23 | Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened to a king, who would take an account of his servants. | ideo adsimilatum est regnum caelorum homini regi qui voluit rationem ponere cum servis suis |
| 24 | And when he had begun to take the account, one as brought to him, that owed him ten thousand talents. | et cum coepisset rationem ponere oblatus est ei unus qui debebat decem milia talenta |
| 25 | And as he had not wherewith to pay it, his lord commanded that he should be sold, and his wife and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. | cum autem non haberet unde redderet iussit eum dominus venundari et uxorem eius et filios et omnia quae habebat et reddi |
| 26 | But that servant falling down, besought him, saying: Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. | procidens autem servus ille orabat eum dicens patientiam habe in me et omnia reddam tibi |
| 27 | And the lord of that servant being moved with pity, let him go and forgave him the debt. | misertus autem dominus servi illius dimisit eum et debitum dimisit ei |
| 28 | But when that servant was gone out, he found one of his fellow-servants that owed him an hundred pence: and laying hold of him, he throttled him, saying: Pay what thou owest. | egressus autem servus ille invenit unum de conservis suis qui debebat ei centum denarios et tenens suffocabat eum dicens redde quod debes |
| 29 | And his fellow-servant falling down, besought him, saying: Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. | et procidens conservus eius rogabat eum dicens patientiam habe in me et omnia reddam tibi |
| 30 | And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he paid the debt. | ille autem noluit sed abiit et misit eum in carcerem donec redderet debitum |
| 31 | Now his fellow servants seeing what was done, were very much grieved, and they came, and told their lord all that was done. | videntes autem conservi eius quae fiebant contristati sunt valde et venerunt et narraverunt domino suo omnia quae facta erant |
| 32 | Then his lord called him: and said to him: Thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all the debt, because thou besoughtest me: | tunc vocavit illum dominus suus et ait illi serve nequam omne debitum dimisi tibi quoniam rogasti me |
| 33 | Shouldst not thou then have had compassion also on thy fellow servant, even as I had compassion on thee? | non ergo oportuit et te misereri conservi tui sicut et ego tui misertus sum |
| 34 | And his lord being angry, delivered him to the torturers until he paid all the debt. | et iratus dominus eius tradidit eum tortoribus quoadusque redderet universum debitum |
| 35 | So also shall my heavenly Father do to you, if you forgive not every one his brother from your hearts. | sic et Pater meus caelestis faciet vobis si non remiseritis unusquisque fratri suo de cordibus vestris |
The Need for Forgiveness
St. Peter's Basilica
Panels of the Holy Door
Vico Consorti, 1949
orabat eum dicens [...] omnia reddam tibi
The sinner makes a declaration of faith and purpose to work out the debt in the same sentence
debitum dimisit ei [...] ille autem noluit
Christ the Lord forgives an existing debt/sin not asking for repayment. The sinner, however, refuses to do the work of mercy that the logic of forgiveness demands. This is a clear indication how the forgiveness of sin at Calvary does not render the faithful onto a robotic state of complete obedience but rather allows him to do or not do the requisite charitable work.
iratus dominus eius tradidit eum tortoribus quoadusque redderet universum debitum
The original punishment was twofold: the sinner, his household, and all his possessions are sold, and the payment is made out of the proceeds. The second punushment is merely that the payment is made under torture. In other words, the sinner remains forgiven, but his conduct following the forgiveness necessitates the torture. This is Purgatory: the place of purifying torture of the forgiven, temporary till the measure of their forgiven sin is cleansed in their souls. Once that consequence of sin is purged, the soul is free in Paradise.