In her programme "There's more in the Sunday Gospel than meets the eye", Jill Bevilacqua
reflects on the Gospel for the Twentytfourth Sunday of the year. Listen:
GOSPEL
MT 18:21-35 Peter approached Jesus and asked him, "Lord, if my
brother sins against me, how often must I forgive? 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 your brother
from your heart."