By Manila Bulletin
Published Aug 14, 2025 12:01 am
It was common practice among the Jews to forgive three times. So Peter is going all out to double and add one, asking if we are expected to forgive seven times. Seven is the biblical number for perfection.
But Jesus raises consciousness beyond the “seventy-seven times” mentioned all the way to Lamech (Gn 4:24), and calls us to forgive as many times as it takes to be set free from desiring vengeance.
It is not counting sins against others. It is forgiving so often that we can easily lose count. Jesus knows we will experience hurt, betrayal, deceit, and a host of other offenses—but love covers this multitude of sins.
We are able to forgive because we are forgiven. Everything starts with God. Just as we love because God loves us, the same goes for forgiveness. No one of us is without sin. And yet, God in the flesh of his crucified Son, takes on all the sin that hinders us.
Forgiveness is supernatural, and we need God’s grace daily to have the ability to forgive as we should. But until we humble ourselves, and admit we have been forgiven, we will not be able to forgive from our own reserves. We need God to show us how to forgive.
First Reading • Jos 3:7-10a, 11, 13-17
The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know I am with you, as I was with Moses. Now command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant to come to a halt in the Jordan when you reach the edge of the waters.” … The people struck their tents to cross the Jordan, with the priests carrying the ark of the covenant ahead of them.
No sooner had these priestly bearers of the ark waded into the waters at the edge of the Jordan, which overflows all its banks during the entire season of the harvest, than the waters flowing from upstream halted, backing up in a solid mass for a very great distance indeed, from Adam, a city in the direction of Zarethan; while those flowing downstream toward the Salt Sea of the Arabah disappeared entirely.
Thus the people crossed over opposite Jericho. While all Israel crossed over on dry ground, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord remained motionless on dry ground in the bed of the Jordan until the whole nation had completed the passage.
Gospel • Matthew 18:21—19:1
Peter approached Jesus and asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?”
Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. That is why the Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount.
Since he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt.
At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’ Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan.
When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount. He seized him and started to choke him, demanding, ‘Pay back what you owe.’
Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ But he refused.
Instead, he had the fellow servant put in prison until he paid back the debt. Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master and reported the whole affair.
His master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?’ Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt.
So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart.” When Jesus finished these words, he left Galilee and went to the district of Judea across the Jordan.
Source: “365 Days with the Lord 2025,” St. Paul’s, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; E-mail: publishing@stpauls.ph; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.
