Thursday of the Nineteenth Week of Ordinary Time (17 August 2023)
⏰Thursday of the Nineteenth Week of Ordinary Time (17 August 2023) 📖Josh 3:7-10a; Ps 114:1-2, 3-4, 5-6; Matt 18:21 – 19:1 🎤"IF YOU DO NOT FORGIVE OTHERS, THEN YOUR FATHER WILL NOT FORGIVE YOU EITHER" (Matt 6:15) Yesterday, we were talking about the necessity of forgiveness in order to build up a harmonious community. But today, we are reminded that forgiveness is a norm that must be observed by all. Peter might have recalled Jesus' teaching in Matt 6:14-15, and then, since Jesus just brought up the matter of forgiveness again, he wanted to make sure he was doing the right thing. The number "7," as we have often noted in this forum, means "completion" or "perfection." Hence, in his question (cf. Matt 18:21), Peter must have been wanting to respond to the call of Jesus for us to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect (Matt 5:48). However, Jesus immediately broadened the teaching to inform us the numbers are endless, and so we must forg...