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24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

From: Romans 14:7-9

[7] None of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. [8] If
we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so
then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. [9] For to
this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the
dead and of the living.

Commentary:

7-9. We do not own ourselves, we are not our own masters. God, One and
Three, has created us, and Jesus Christ has freed us from sin by
redeeming us with his Blood. Therefore, he is our lord, and we his
servants, committed to him body and soul. Just as the slave is not his
own master, but he himself and all he does redounds to the benefit of
his master, everything we are and everything we have are geared, in the
last analysis, not to our own use and benefit: we have to live and die
for the glory of God. He is lord of our life and of our death.
Commenting on these words St Gregory the Great says: "The saints,
therefore, do not live and do not die for themselves. They do not live
for themselves, because in all that they do they strive for spiritual
gain: by praying, preaching and persevering in good works, they seek the
increase of the citizens of the heavenly fatherland. Nor do they
die for themselves because men see them glorifying God by their death,
hastening to reach him through death" ("In Ezechielem Homiliae", II,
10).

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

From: Matthew 18:21-35

Forgiveness of Injuries. The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

[21] Then Peter came up and said to Him (Jesus), "Lord, how often
shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven
times?" [22] Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times,
but seventy times seven.

[23] "Therefore the Kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a king who
wished to settle accounts with his servants. [24] When he began the
reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents;
[25] and as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his
wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. [26] So
the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, 'Lord, have patience with
me, and I will pay you everything.' [27] And out of pity for him the
lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. [28] But
that same servant, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow servants
who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat he said,
`Pay what you owe.' [29] So his fellow servant fell down and besought
him, `Have patience with me, and I will pay you.' [30] He refused and
went and put him in prison till he should pay his debt. [31] When his
fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed,
and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place.
[32] Then his lord summoned him and said to him, `You wicked servant!
I forgave you all that debt because you besought me; [33] and should
not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?'
[34] And in anger his lord delivered him to the jailers, till he should
pay all his debt. [35] So also My Heavenly Father will do to every one
of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart."

Commentary:

21-35. Peter's question and particularly Jesus' reply prescribe the
spirit of understanding and mercy which should govern Christians'
behavior.

In Hebrew the figure of seventy times seven means the same as "always"
(cf. Genesis 4:24): "Therefore, our Lord did not limit forgiveness to a
fixed number, but declared that it must be continuous and forever"
(Chrysostom, "Hom. on St. Matthew", 6). Here also we can see the
contrast between man's ungenerous, calculating approach to forgiveness,
and God's infinite mercy. The parable also clearly shows that we are
totally in God's debt. A talent was the equivalent of six thousand
denarii, and a denarius a working man's daily wage. Ten thousand
talents, an enormous sum, gives us an idea of the immense value attaching
to the pardon we receive from God. Overall, the parable
teaches that we must always forgive our brothers, and must do so
wholeheartedly.

"Force yourself, if necessary, always to forgive those who offend you,
from the very first moment. For the greatest injury or offense that
you can suffer from them is nothing compared to what God has pardoned
you" ([St] J. Escriva, "The Way", 452).