13 September 2026 · Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
The Lord Forgives Us So That We May Forgive Others
Ecclesiasticus 27:33-28:9; Romans 14:7-9; Matthew 18:21-35
The readings of this Sunday place before us one of the most difficult but most beautiful demands of Christian discipleship: forgiveness. Sirach warns us against anger, resentment and revenge: “Forgive your neighbour the hurt he does you, and when you pray, your sins will be forgiven.” St. Paul reminds us that whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. In the Gospel, Jesus teaches that there must be no fixed limit to our readiness to forgive: “Not seven, I tell you, but seventy-seven times.” Through the parable of the unforgiving servant, Jesus reminds us that having received mercy from God, we must become merciful towards others.
The servant had been forgiven an enormous debt, which he could never repay. Yet, after receiving such mercy, he refused to forgive another a much smaller debt. We can easily fall into the same trap. We remember clearly what others have done against us, while forgetting how often God has forgiven us. We notice another person’s weakness but overlook our own. We expect patience from God while demanding perfection from our neighbour.
Every time we pray the Our Father, we say, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” This is not simply a request for God’s forgiveness; it is also a commitment to forgive. A Christian should therefore be able to say, “God has been patient with me; therefore I will try to be patient with others.”
Forgiveness, however, does not mean pretending that an injustice did not happen or allowing someone to continue abusing or exploiting us. Justice, correction, restitution and appropriate boundaries may still be necessary. To forgive means rather refusing to let hatred and revenge control our hearts. Sirach asks, “Does anyone harbour anger against another and yet expect healing from the Lord?” Resentment can imprison us in the very pain caused by another person. Forgiveness begins when we say, “What happened was wrong, but I will not allow it to destroy my heart.”
For serious hurts, forgiveness may be a process. We may need to pray, grieve, seek counsel and slowly surrender our pain to God. We may not yet feel ready to forgive, but we can pray: “Lord, give me the grace to desire forgiveness.” The prayer can open the door to healing. Forgiveness also requires humility. Sometimes we ourselves have contributed to a conflict and must be ready to say, “I am sorry. Please forgive me.” Families and communities become stronger when people are not too proud to apologise and not too stubborn to forgive.
Our first school of forgiveness is often the family. Husbands and wives, parents and children, brothers and sisters can carry old grievances for years. Sometimes healing begins with something very simple: a telephone call, a visit, an honest conversation, an apology or a decision to stop waiting for the other person to make the first move. Do not allow pride to separate you from those whom God has given you as family.
Our communities also urgently need the Gospel of forgiveness. Divisions, suspicion, rivalries, gossip and painful memories can destroy relationships in our Small Christian Communities, associations, schools and workplaces. Instead of always asking, “Who is to blame?” Christians should ask, “What can I do to become an instrument of reconciliation?” We must learn to disagree without hatred, correct without humiliating, apologise without pride and forgive without revenge.
St. Paul gives us the deepest motivation: “The life and death of each of us has its influence on others, but we belong to the Lord.” Our lives do not belong to our anger or our wounds; we belong to Christ. Therefore, we are called to live like Christ, who prayed for those responsible for his suffering. We forgive not because the offender necessarily deserves it, but because Christ has first shown us mercy.
This week, let us make a concrete effort to practise forgiveness. Let us bring before God one person against whom we still carry resentment. Where possible and prudent, let us take one step towards reconciliation. And, having forgiven someone, let us stop continually speaking about that person’s faults. True forgiveness should gradually change both our hearts and our tongues.
The Eucharist we celebrate is a sacrament of mercy. We come before the Lord as sinners in need of forgiveness. Having received his mercy, we cannot refuse mercy to others. The Lord has cancelled our enormous debt; let us not become harsh over the smaller debts of our brothers and sisters.
May God give us the grace to forgive as we have been forgiven, to love as we have been loved, and to become instruments of reconciliation wherever there is division. “Forgive your neighbour the hurt he does you, and then your sins will be forgiven.” Amen.