Catholic Identity  

Gospel Reflection 

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time 

Summary  

Forgiving someone can be really hard, especially when they have hurt us or done the same thing more than once. 

Peter wanted Jesus to give him a number: How many times do I have to forgive someone before I’ve done enough? But Jesus tells Peter that forgiveness isn’t something we count. 

God shows us incredible love, patience and mercy. Jesus asks us to share that same mercy with other people. That doesn’t mean pretending that something hurtful was okay. It means trying not to hold onto anger, revenge or the desire to hurt someone back. 

Scripture – Matthew 18:21-35 

Peter went up to Jesus and said, ‘Lord, how often must I forgive my brother if he wrongs me? As often as seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘Not seven, I tell you, but seventy-seven times. 

  ‘And so the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who decided to settle his accounts with his servants. When the reckoning began, they brought him a man who owed ten thousand talents; but he had no means of paying, so his master gave orders that he should be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, to meet the debt. At this, the servant threw himself down at his master’s feet. “Give me time” he said “and I will pay the whole sum.” And the servant’s master felt so sorry for him that he let him go and cancelled the debt. Now as this servant went out, he happened to meet a fellow servant who owed him one hundred denarii; and he seized him by the throat and began to throttle him. “Pay what you owe me” he said. His fellow servant fell at his feet and implored him, saying, “Give me time and I will pay you.” But the other would not agree; on the contrary, he had him thrown into prison till he should pay the debt. His fellow servants were deeply distressed when they saw what had happened, and they went to their master and reported the whole affair to him. Then the master sent for him. “You wicked servant,” he said “I cancelled all that debt of yours when you appealed to me. Were you not bound, then, to have pity on your fellow servant just as I had pity on you?” And in his anger the master handed him over to the torturers till he should pay all his debt. And that is how my heavenly Father will deal with you unless you each forgive your brother from your heart.’ 

Reflection 

Sometimes we are very good at noticing what other people have done wrong. 

“She said this to me.”  “He did that.”  “They started it.” 

But Jesus asks us to remember something else too: we all make mistakes, and we all need forgiveness. 

In the story, the servant happily accepts forgiveness when he needs it, but finds it much harder to give forgiveness to somebody else. 

We can be like that sometimes too. 

Forgiveness doesn't always happen straight away. Sometimes we need time, a conversation, an apology or help from someone we trust. But Jesus asks us to keep our hearts open—to keep choosing kindness and mercy instead of letting hurt and anger have the final word. 

Reflection Questions 

• Why do you think Peter wanted Jesus to give him a number for how many times he had to forgive?  
• Why can forgiving someone be difficult?  
• How does it feel when somebody genuinely forgives you?  
• Is forgiving someone the same as saying that what they did was okay? Why not?  
• Is there someone you might need to forgive, or someone you might need to ask for forgiveness?  
• What could our family do this week to be a little more patient and forgiving with each other? 

Prayer 

Loving God, thank you for loving us and forgiving us when we get things wrong. 

Help us to say sorry when we hurt others, to forgive when we have been hurt, and to be patient with one another. 

When forgiveness is difficult, give us courage to keep trying and help us to show others the same mercy you show us. 

Amen. 

Class Masses 

Each Friday, one of our classes attends the 12:10pm parish Mass in St Kilian’s Hall with our Pastoral Care Group also attending the First Friday Anointing Mass each month. 

Students are encouraged to actively participate in the Mass through roles such as readers, altar servers, and bringing forward the gifts. These experiences help students grow in confidence and deepen their understanding of the Mass and Catholic traditions. 

This initiative is also a valuable way of continuing to strengthen the connection between our parish and school communities, while encouraging students to take an active role in faith and community life.