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“When someone whose mind is but partially developed sees something clothed in some semblance of beauty, he believes that this thing is beautiful in its own nature. . . but someone who has purified the eyes of the soul and is trained to see beautiful things. . . makes us of the visible as a springboard to rise to the contemplation of the spiritual.” -
Gregory of Nyssa, On Virginity -
(Open your eyes to the beauty around you. Notice. Give thanks to the God of beauty.)
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JOS 3:7-10A, 11, 13-17; PS 114:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
MT 18:21–19:1
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 the fellow servant 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 his brother from his heart."
When Jesus finished these words, he left Galilee
and went to the district of Judea across the Jordan.
USCCB Lectionary
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Matthew 18:21-19:1 (The mercy of God)
Forgiveness is one of the most humbling of all practices and one of the most difficult. That is why Peter asks Jesus if there is a limit to the number of times that God and we can forgive others.
Jesus reply reveals the incomprehensible depths d)f God's forgiveness and our awesome responsibility to extend this grace to others
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* Suppose God were to treat you as you have treated other people. How well would you fare? Which would you prefer to have God extend to you, justice or mercy?
* Is it difficult
for you to forgive those who have wronged you? Is it difficult to ask for forgiveness when you've done wrong to another?
* Pray for the grace to know that you are a forgiven sinner.
Paperback, Kindle
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God and I: Exploring the Connections between God, Self and Ego, by Philip St. Romain, 2016 (2nd ed.) ____________ Chapter 4: The False Self System The realm of religion is no sanctuary from false self thinking and pursuits, however. Indeed, it often seems that many approach a religious tradition in the hope of finally learning what one must do to gain the approval that matters most, which is that of God. God-as-Approver becomes the Over-seer of a system of salvation-by-works, with those who do well being rewarded with heaven and those who do the wrong things punished in
hell. The great falsifier of this approach, however, has been the prosperity of the wicked and the suffering of the good, a topic explored in depth in the Book of Job.
Hardback, paperback, eBook and free preview versions.
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