Daily Archives: 5 March, 2024

Issue of capacity. Reflection for marriages: Mt 18:21-35

GOSPEL

From the Gospel according to Matthew
Mt 18:21-35

Peter approached Jesus and asked him,
“Lord, if my brother sins against me,
how often must I forgive him?
As many as seven times?”
Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.
That is why the Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king
who decided to settle accounts with his servants.
When he began the accounting,
a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount.
Since he had no way of paying it back,
his master ordered him to be sold,
along with his wife, his children, and all his property,
in payment of the debt.
At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said,
‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’
Moved with compassion the master of that servant
let him go and forgave him the loan.
When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants
who owed him a much smaller amount.
He seized him and started to choke him, demanding,
‘Pay back what you owe.’
Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him,
‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’
But he refused.
Instead, he had him put in prison
until he paid back the debt.
Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened,
they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master
and reported the whole affair.
His master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant!
I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to.
Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant,
as I had pity on you?’
Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers
until he should pay back the whole debt.
So will my heavenly Father do to you,
unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart.

The Gospel of the Lord.
Issue of capacity.

When in those adventure movies, after a lot of challenges and risks, the protagonist enters a room carved in the rock and discovers a mountain of gold and jewels, but it turns out that he only has a small bag, I always think, What a waste!

It’s true that, filling his pockets and the small leather pouch, he already has enough to live the rest of his life like a king, but… What a waste! Well, that’s how immense God’s mercy is, much more than that mountain of gold. And my heart is that small pouch. 
In order for the treasure to fit, I first have to empty it of my poisonous trinkets: quarrels, resentments, and grudges towards others. 
But how to enlarge its capacity? 
There is no other way than to continue forgiving my husband. Because forgiving him is what enlarges my heart.

Applied to Married Life:

Lola: Before, when I had to forgive you for something, it was hard for me because I fed on my resentment to demand compensation.
Julio: That’s usual. That’s why it’s so hard for us to forgive. We feel humiliated, mistreated, and demand restitution.
Lola: It’s a mirage, but that’s our motivation, yes. But today I learned that forgiving you widens my heart so that more of the treasure of merciful Love that God wants to give me can fit in it. That which heals me and saves me.

Mother,

I want to empty the saddlebags and open them wide to fill them with the Love that God wants to give me. Praised be forever and ever.