Forgiveness is never easy. St Peter asks Our Lord how many times we must forgive someone – the more often we are wronged, the weaker the evidence of
repentance and the harder it becomes. Jesus tells a parable to bring home to us that whatever wrongs WE may have suffered, God has forgiven us much more.
Seventy-seven times amounts to no limit at all. The first reading from a book that focuses on practical wisdom (Sirach = Ecclesiasticus) seeks to motivate us out of
self-interest. If we keep a score of injuries we must expect others, including God, to do the same towards us. Behind both of these readings lies a truth that,
whether or not the wrong doer is repentant and able or willing to change or make amends, forgiveness is to our benefit, and failure to let go of injuries is to
perpetuate the harm we have already suffered. If you burn your hand the first thing is to take it away from the source of the heat and plunge it into cold water
or ice to reduce the temperature – every second counts in reducing the long-term harm. In practical terms the best way we can let go of our injury is to give it to the Lord to carry on the cross – not just once but as often as the memory of it comes back to us. Perhaps we will always be scarred but he will reduce the pain little by little as time goes by.