FORGIVING BROTHERS

 

I grew up as the middle boy of three sons. My older brother was one year and nine months older than I. My younger brother was one year and seven months younger.

Like boys, we sometimes disagreed, argued, called each other names and occasionally hit one another. There were unkind words, hurt feelings and sometimes aches and bruises.

When this occurred, my parents intervened and told us, sometimes very forcefully, to apologize. When we were toddlers, they made us kiss and make up. By the time we were teenagers, verbal apologies, however shallow, sufficed. Forced brotherly forgiveness kept the peace in our family, and most likely saved my parents from the insane asylum.

In our gospel (Matt 18:21-35), Peter asks if he must forgive his brother up to seven times? Seven times?! Who could forgive anyone up to seven times?! Yet, seven was the perfect number. So, Peter’s act of forgiving someone seven times was very noble.

Sometimes, do you have trouble forgiving a person who has embarrassed or hurt you? Don’t you think that someone who hit you or stole from you needs to be punished? Don’t you think you should have the chance to get even with that person? A lot of people think that way, and sometimes they make a huge mistake by trying to get even.

Jesus reminds us that because God first forgave us, we must forgive others not just once or seven times, but seventy times seven times. In other words, Jesus does not limit our forgiveness of other people because God’s forgiveness of us is unlimited. So, today, be as forgiving as Jesus was to those who hurt him.

Let us pray. Heavenly Father, from whom all fatherhood in heaven and earth is named: Bless all children, and give their fathers and mothers the spirit of wisdom and love, so that the homes in which they grow up may be to them an image of Your Kingdom, and the care of their parents a likeness of Your love. We pray in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.