Today, with the perspective of “the great pardon” of God which Jesus invokes and reaches on the Cross, we understand that only through forgiveness can an offense be cleared, and that forgiveness can only be effective for those who in turn also forgive (as we express when praying the “Lord’s Prayer”). Forgiveness appears continuously through the entire Gospel.

God, taking the initiative, came to meet us in order to reconcile humanity with Him; to achieve forgiveness He paid the price of descending to the miseries of human existence and to death on the Cross. As contrast comes the “Parable of the merciless servant”: this servant had been forgiven the incredible debt of ten thousand talents, however soon after he wasn’t willing to forgive the absurd debt of one hundred denarii, that the other man owed him. Anything we must forgive each other is always small in comparison with the mercy of God who forgives everyone!

—O Lord, help me to remember often Your prayer on the Cross: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do”.