"The elusive virtue of forgiveness"  | By Rev. Jack R. Miller
 
A line from a country song says, “Lead me not into temptation—I can find it all by myself.” It’s humorous, but it’s true. Temptation is woven into daily life, and the sins we confess, like pride, anger, envy, greed, lust, laziness, gossip, and dishonesty, are all too often familiar companions on our
journey through life.
 
But there is a deeper temptation, one that rarely appears on any list, yet touches every soul: the temptation to refuse forgiveness.
 
Scripture mentions forgiveness more often than purity because forgiveness is the doorway into communion, communion with God and communion with one another. Without forgiveness, there is no unity, no peace, no Eucharist lived out in daily life.
 
In this week’s Gospel, Peter asks Jesus how often he should forgive. Seven times? He thinks he is being generous. But Jesus answers with the language of heaven: “Not seven times, but seventy times seven.” In other words, forgiveness is not a number; it is a way of being. It is the disciple's lifestyle. It is the rhythm of the Kingdom.
 
Jesus then tells the parable of the unmerciful servant. Although he is forgiven a debt so enormous it defies imagination, he refuses to forgive a fellow servant a small amount. The tragedy is not only his harshness; it is his failure to let mercy change him.
 
And here is the Eucharistic truth: We cannot receive mercy at this altar and withhold mercy at our doorstep.
 
Forgiveness begins with empathy, seeing the other not as an enemy but as a wounded child of God. It requires humility, the courage to admit our own faults, and the willingness to let grace soften the hardened places of the heart.
 
Before God, every one of us carries a debt we cannot repay. Yet God does not demand repayment. He offers Himself. He gives His Son. He pours out mercy like a river that never runs dry. And in the Eucharist, He renews that mercy again and again.
 
At this altar, Christ does not merely forgive us; He draws us into communion. He binds us together. He heals what is fractured. He restores what is broken. He makes us one Body. And Christ asks us to do the same.
 
Forgiveness is Eucharistic because forgiveness is self‑giving love. It is the willingness to take the first step toward reconciliation, even when the other cannot or will not. It is the decision to rebuild what was shattered, to welcome back those who wounded us, to create a community where mercy is the language we speak.
 
When we forgive, we imitate the One we receive. When we reconcile, we extend the grace placed in our hands. When we let go of resentment, we make room for Christ.
 
Saint Francis prayed, “It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.” At this table, we see why. We are pardoned so we may pardon. We are fed so we may feed others with mercy. We are united so we may become instruments of unity.
 
In a few moments, we will stretch out our hands to receive the Body of Christ. As we do, let us ask for the grace to forgive as He forgives, freely, joyfully, and without counting the cost. Let us ask for the courage to mend what is broken, to heal what is wounded, to restore what is lost. Let us become instruments of reconciliation in our families, our friendships, our parish, and our world.
 
Because where forgiveness flows, Christ is present. Where mercy reigns, the Kingdom breaks in. Where love triumphs, new life begins.
 
Amen? Amen!