So my heavenly Father will not forgive you,
if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.
FIRST READING
(Daniel 3.25, 34-43)
25 Azariah, condemned to death by fire,
stood still in the fire and prayed aloud:
34 “For your name’s sake do not give us up forever,
and do not annul your covenant.
35 Do not withdraw your mercy from us,
for the sake of Abraham your beloved
and for the sake of your servant Isaac
and Israel your holy one,
36 to whom you promised
to multiply their descendants like the stars of heaven
and like the sand on the shore of the sea.
37 “For we, O Lord, have become fewer than any other nation,
and are brought low this day in all the world
because of our sins.
38 In our day we have no ruler, or prophet, or leader,
no burnt offering, or sacrifice, or oblation, or incense,
no place to make an offering before you and to find mercy.
39 “Yet with a contrite heart and a humble spirit may we be accepted,
40 as though it were with burnt offerings of rams and bulls,
or with tens of thousands of fat lambs;
such may our sacrifice be in your sight today,
and may we unreservedly follow you,
for no shame will come to those who trust in you.
41 “And now with all our heart we follow you;
we fear you and seek your presence.
42 Do not put us to shame,
but deal with us in your patience
and in your abundant mercy.
43 Deliver us in accordance with your marvellous works,
and bring glory to your name, O Lord.”
The word of the Lord.
A period of silence is observed after the reading.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
(Psalm 25.4-5a, 6-7, 8-9)
(R.6a)
Response: Remember your mercies, O Lord.
4 Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
teach me your paths.
5 Lead me in your truth, and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation.
6 Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord,
and of your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
7 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
According to your steadfast love remember me,
for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!
8 Good and upright is the Lord;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
9 He leads the humble in what is right,
and teaches the humble his way.
GOSPEL
(Matthew 18.21-35)
21 Peter came and said to Jesus,
“Lord, if a brother or sister sins against me,
how often should I forgive?
As many as seven times?”
22 Jesus said to him,
“Not seven times,
but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.
23 “For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king
who wished to settle accounts with his slaves.
24 When he began the reckoning,
one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him;
25 and, as he could not pay,
his lord ordered him to be sold,
together with his wife and children and all his possessions,
and payment to be made. ?
26 So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying,
‘Have patience with me,
and I will pay you everything.’
27 And out of pity, the lord of that slave released him
and forgave him the debt.
28 “But that same slave, as he went out,
came upon one of his fellow slaves
who owed him a hundred denarii;
and seizing him by the throat, he said,
‘Pay what you owe.’
29 Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him,
‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’
30 But he refused;
then he went and threw him into prison
until he would pay the debt.
31 “When his fellow slaves saw what had happened,
they were greatly distressed,
and they went and reported to their lord
all that had taken place.
32 Then his lord summoned him and said to him,
‘You wicked slave!
I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.
33 Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave,
as I had mercy on you?’
34 And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured
until he would pay his entire debt.
35 “So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you,
if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
