Gospel for the Day with Pointers

Thursday, 16th August,2018

Ord. Wk 19th

Mt 18:23-25a, 27-29a, 30b,32-35

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a king who decided to settle his accounts with his servants. When the reckoning began, they brought him a man who owed ten thousand talents; he had no means of paying. And the servant's master felt so sorry for him that he let him go and cancelled the debt. 

Now as this servant went out, he happened to meet a fellow-servant who owed him one hundred denarii; and he seized him by the throat and began to throttle him, saying, “Pay what you owe me.” His fellow-servant fell at his feet and appealed to him. But he had him thrown into prison till he should pay the debt. 

Then the master sent for the man and said to him, “You wicked servant, I cancelled all that debt of yours when you appealed to me. Were you not bound, then, to have pity on your fellow-servant just as I had pity on you?” And in his anger the master handed him over to the torturers till he should pay all his debt. And that is how my heavenly Father will deal with you unless you each forgive your brother from your heart.’

• In today’s Gospel Jesus teaches us to forgive others because God has always forgiven us. To be unwilling to forgive others even though God has constantly forgiven us, is an act of injustice to others and ingratitude towards God. 
  
  
• If we want God to show us mercy then we should rightly first learn to forgive others.  Do you hold any grudge or resentment towards anyone? 
  
  
• Ask the Lord for the graces to be merciful as He is merciful, to be freed from all bitterness and resentment and to forgive from the heart anyone who has hurt you.