Sunday Gospel: Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Matthew 18:21-35

This gospel passage follows directly from last week’s passage. It concludes the whole of Matthew Chapter 18 that deals with sin, forgiveness and reconciliation. Peter’s question to Jesus and suggested answer is a reflection of the view that there is a limit to the number of times we should forgive someone. Seven is a significant number in scripture and implies a ‘perfect’ amount. Even though by his use of seven, Peter is suggesting that he should forgive someone many, many times, Jesus quickly corrects Peter and says not seven, but seventy-seven times. Jesus plays on the use of the number seven and multiplies it to indicate that one should forgive as many times as is required – without keeping count; without keeping score.

The story of the unforgiving servant is a familiar one of forgiveness and mercy being shown but not passed on. The sting in the tail of this parable is Jesus’ final warning that, ‘So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart.’ This is an unsettling statement, as we believe God’s forgiveness to be without measure and without end. Jesus warns that unless we seek to imitate God’s forgiveness and forgive others ‘from our heart’ (with compassion) then we are not going to recognise the forgiveness of God and will cut ourselves off from it.

The whole idea of forgiving from the heart is a powerful contradiction of a popular concept: ‘I can forgive, but not forget.’ Is it really possible to forgive but refuse to forget? Surely holding on to a memory of hurt is holding on to the hurt itself and does not display that any forgiveness has occurred at all. To forgive but not forget is to keep count. How many times should I forgive the one who has hurt me? As many times as it takes!  (Gospel Reflection by Greg Sunter)

Sacrament of Confirmation – Stole Preparation in week 7

Many of our Year 6 students are preparing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. On Thursday, I had the pleasure of spending the morning with the candidates preparing their Stoles. The children did a wonderful job creating their Stoles and focusing on the connection they had to the saint they had chosen as their Confirmation name. We all join in praying for the children as they prepare for the Sacrament to be held in weeks 9 and 10 of this term at Holy Trinity Church in Curtin.

God bless,

Stephanie Burns

Religious Education Coordinator