24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A (2026)
24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
Sirach 27:30 – 28:7
Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12 (8)
Romans 14:7-9
Matthew 18:21-35
September 13, 2026
How much must we forgive?
Peter asks Jesus how many times we need to forgive the same person. Peter suggests seven times. Seven times may seem generous to some people but not to Jesus. Jesus says, “not seven times but seventy-seven times.”
If we start counting how many times we forgive a person until we reach seventy-seven, we have missed the point. Jesus teaches us to forgive over and over.
As Jesus often does, He offers a parable about forgiveness. The debtor comes before his king to whom he owes “a huge amount”, an amount so huge that “he had no way of paying it back.”
The servant falls down, gives his king homage, and begs for patience. The master responds with forgiveness.
What do you owe to God? What debt have you incurred to our Lord?
These questions are not about financial debt. These questions are about the debt of sin. How many sins have you committed?
Do you realize the debt of sins against God is too great for us to pay on our own?
Do not be afraid! Jesus has paid the price for your sins!
How are we to fall down before our Lord, give him homage, and ask for forgiveness? We do so in the Sacrament of Reconciliation that is our Lord’s gift to us so that we can confess our sins and receive his forgiveness.
Do you value God’s forgiveness? Do you understand it is a gift because we are unable to pay the price for our sins on our own?
God calls us to share this gift by forgiving others.
What happens if we do not forgive others? The rest of Jesus’ parable provides the answer. When the debtor did not forgive his fellow debtor, he was handed over to the torturers. Who is our torturer? Satan.
What does it mean to forgive?
Forgiveness is not the same as forgetting. With the “little things”, it is best to forget. With major sins this may be harder and we have a right to protect ourselves.
To forgive requires us to wish for the best for those who have wronged us. It means being polite to them. It means that we pray for what is good for them.
True forgiveness means forgiving our brother or sister from our heart.
Why would we not forgive?
We might think the person does not deserve our forgiveness. We might say they have to ask for it first. We might think they are not sorry for what they have done to us.
Why would we forgive, especially if the person is not sorry?
First and foremost, forgiveness is what the Lord asks of us.
Secondly, it is what we say we will do in the Lord’s Prayer, “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
Thirdly, it does us no good to withhold forgiveness for “wrath and anger are hateful things.” Wrath and anger eat away at our hearts and our souls.
Here I think of the words from Sirach, “Could anyone nourish anger against another and expect healing from the LORD?” As long as we hold on to our anger, we do not let the Lord heal us. Why would we want to prevent the Lord from healing us?
In Psalm 103 we read, “He pardons all your iniquities, heals all your ills. He redeems your life form destruction.” Our anger harms us. We need our Lord’s forgiveness for our sins. We need the Lord to heal us of the ills of hate and anger.
Do you want to face the Lord’s wrath for your anger? Then do not seek wrath against others. “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12).
Peace,
Fr. Jeff
I find it very hard to forgive certain political leaders who keep thinking only of themselves and not of the people they were elected to represent. The political leader I am talking about does not seem to be like the king you wrote about in your Renewal of Faith column this week.
Sometimes we have to protect ourselves and others in order to hold certain politicians accountable for their selfish and dangerous behavior. As citizens in a democracy, we can and should speak out and protest against selfish and autocratic political leaders. Would God not want us to do this too?
We should also pray, as you say, to God so we can manage our anger effectively and not cause harm to ourselves and/or to others including any autocratic political leader.
Carol,
I certainly intended no comparison with the king from the gospel reading with present day leaders. The king in this parable is an ideal king, caring and forgiving. You are right that it is hard to forgive some people. That’s why we need grace.
All people, government leaders and general people, will be accountable for any sins they have done for which they have not repented for.
We need to pray for ALL leaders, whether we agree with them or not. Pray that they open themselves to doing God’s Will, rather than their own will or our will.
And, yes, we need to pray to God so we all manager our emotions, most especially anger well.
Peace,
Fr. Jeff