Fr Paul reads from Matthew’s Gospel (18:21-19:1) in which Jesus shares the parable of the unmerciful servant.

Fr Paul says this parable continues and, in fact, concludes the theme of forgiveness.  Forgiveness is the life blood of any Christian community. If we reflect, constantly throughout our lives, we knowingly or unknowingly upset others and so forgiveness is vital in our lives. This parable, like others in Matthew’s Gospel, offers a stark contrast.

Often, in the parables that Matthew uses, there is the ‘goodie’ and the ‘baddie’ but in this Gospel, we see the contrast in the amounts that the servants owe.  The first servant owes millions of dollars. It is a sum that no slave or servant could pay back. The second servant owes just a couple of months’ wages and we see then the contrast in the responses of the various characters in the parable.

Key, here though, Fr Paul says, is the message of forgiveness.

For our reflection today Fr Paul asks us to consider, ‘Is there someone in my life, at the moment, who I need to forgive?’