杏MAP导航

By Vatican News

杏MAP导航 Francis is urging Christians to imitate God's merciful attitude, saying the world could be spared much suffering and many wounds and wars if forgiveness and mercy were "the style of our life." 

Speaking to a crowd gathered in Rome St. Peter鈥檚 Square, the 杏MAP导航 reflected on the parable of the unmerciful servant in Matthew鈥檚 Gospel (18:21-35), the Gospel of the day. A master forgives a servant's enormous loan when he pleaded for time to repay it. But when that servant came across another fellow servant who owed him only a modest amount, he had his fellow servant thrown into prison. Coming to know about it, the master punishes the unmerciful servant.

Justice pervaded by mercy

Reflecting on the parable, 杏MAP导航 Francis drew attention to God's attitude, represented by the king, and that of the human person, represented by the servant. 鈥淭he divine attitude is justice pervaded with mercy," he said,  "whereas the human attitude is limited to justice.鈥� The 杏MAP导航 said Jesus urges us to open ourselves courageously to the power of forgiveness, because 鈥渘ot everything in life can be resolved by justice鈥�.   

The need for merciful love, the 杏MAP导航 explained, is also the answer Jesus gives to Peter, who asked Jesus how many times he should forgive someone who sins against him. "In the symbolic language of the Bible this means that we are called to forgive always," the 杏MAP导航 explained.

Mercy in human situations

The Holy Father reflected: 鈥淗ow much suffering, how many wounds, how many wars could be avoided if forgiveness and mercy were the style of our life!鈥�

鈥淚t is necessary to apply merciful love to all human relationships: between spouses, between parents and children, within our communities and also in society and politics.鈥�

In off the cuff remarks, 杏MAP导航 Francis shared how he was touched by a line from the First Reading from the Sunday's Liturgy from the Book of Sirach: "Remember your last days, set enmity aside". He said that resentment and hatred from past offenses can continue to bother us like a fly. "Forgiving is not something momentary, it is something that we continue doing against that resentment, that hatred that keeps coming back." But thinking about our last days helps us put an end to that endless cycle, he said..

Call to forgive in the 鈥淥ur Father鈥�

This parable, the 杏MAP导航 said helps us to grasp fully the meaning of the phrase in the 鈥淥ur Father鈥�: "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us" (see Mt 6:12). These words, 杏MAP导航 Francis said, contain a decisive truth:

"We cannot demand God鈥檚 forgiveness for ourselves if we in turn do not grant forgiveness to our neighbour. If we do not strive to forgive and to love, we will not be forgiven and loved either."

In conclusion, 杏MAP导航 Francis urged everyone to entrust themselves to the Mother of God so that they may realize how much they are in debt to God and open their hearts to mercy and goodness.