Gospel: March 10, 2026
March 10, 2026 (Tuesday)
3rd Week of Lent
Psalter: Week 3 (Violet)
Ps 25: 4-5ab. 6 & 7bc. 8 & 9
Remember your mercies, O Lord.
1st Reading: Daniel 3:25, 34-43*
Gospel: Matthew 18:21-35
When Peter asked him, “Lord, how many times must I forgive the offenses of my brother or sister? Seven times?”Jesus answered, “No, not seven times, but 77 times.
This story throws light on the kingdom of Heaven: A king decided to settle accounts with his servants. Among the first of them was one who owed him 10,000 pieces of gold. As the man could not repay the debt, the king commanded that he be sold as a slave with his wife, his children and all his goods, as repayment.
The servant threw himself at the feet of the king and said, ‘Give me time, and I will pay you back everything.’The king took pity on him, and not only set him free, but even canceled his debt.
When this servant left the king’s presence, he met one of his fellow servants, who owed him a hundred pieces of silver. He grabbed him by the throat and almost choked him, shouting, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ His fellow servant threw himself at his feet and begged him,‘Give me time, and I will pay everything.’But the other did not agree, and sent him to prison until he had paid all his debt. Now the servants of the king saw what had happened. They were extremely upset, and so they went and reported everything to their lord. Then the lord summoned his servant and said, ‘Wicked servant, I forgave you all that you owed me when you begged me to do so. Weren’t you bound to have pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?’ The lord was now angry. He handed the wicked servant over to be punished, until he had paid the whole debt.”
Jesus added, “So will my heavenly Father do with you, unless you sincerely forgive your brothers and sisters.”
Reflection:
God’s providence knows no bounds.
Many barriers hinder true forgiveness, one of which is ignorance. In this case, a person, like the servant in the parable, forgets how much they have been forgiven and thus fails to extend that forgiveness to others.
Another barrier is woundedness, where the offense is so painful or traumatic—such as from abuse or malice—that sincere forgiveness by the victim can only result from a long, arduous process of healing. Despite this process, one may still find oneself repeatedly forgiving the same person for the same offense. Even in these cases, the Christian command remains the same: forgive as the Father has forgiven.
The good news is that God’s providence knows no bounds. Even in situations that seem too difficult to forgive, where wounds remain raw and fresh, and where we may feel blinded, we can always seek God and ask for the grace to forgive our brothers and sisters one day.
