Thursday of week 19 in Ordinary Time
Saints Pontian, Pope, and Hippolytus, Priest, Martyrs
Gospel: Matthew 18:21–19:1In today’s Gospel, Peter asks Jesus, “How often must I forgive my brother if he wrongs me? As often as seven times?” Jesus answers, “Not seven, I tell you, but seventy-seven times,” revealing that forgiveness is not an occasional act but a fundamental attitude of Christian life. We live entirely because of the mercy we ourselves have received from God. The servant in the parable is forgiven an enormous debt, yet refuses to forgive the much smaller debt of another; his failure is that the mercy he received never entered his heart deeply enough to become mercy toward others. Forgiveness does not mean pretending that an injustice never happened, nor does it remove the need for truth and justice. It means refusing to allow another person’s wrongdoing to imprison our heart in resentment. We forgive because God has first forgiven us, and His mercy must continue flowing through us. The story of Pope Pontian and Hippolytus of Rome gives this Gospel particular meaning: once divided by serious conflict within the Church, tradition remembers them ultimately reconciled in suffering and martyrdom. Their witness reminds us that no division needs to have the final word. Forgiveness is fundamental because without it love cannot mature, relationships cannot truly heal, and the mercy we receive from God cannot become fully alive within us. Let’s reflect: Having received such immeasurable mercy from God, am I allowing that mercy to pass through my heart by truly forgiving those who have hurt me?
Don Giorgio