St. Cecilia Church, Philadelphia issued the following announcement on September 13.

The Liturgy of the Word 

First Reading Book of Sirach 27:30-28:7 

Wrath and anger are hateful things, yet the sinner hugs them tight. The vengeful will suffer the LORD’s vengeance, for he remembers their sins in detail. Forgive your neighbor’s injustice; then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven. Could anyone nourish anger against another and expect healing from the LORD? Could anyone refuse mercy to another like himself, can he seek pardon for his own sins? If one who is but flesh cherishes wrath, who will forgive his sins? Remember your last days, set enmity aside; remember death and decay, and cease from sin! Think of the commandments, hate not your neighbor; remember the Most High’s covenant, and overlook faults. The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger, and rich in compassion.

Second Reading Letter of St. Paul to the Romans 14:7-9 

Brothers and sisters: None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself. For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord; so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For this is why Christ died and came to life, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living. The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. 

Gospel The holy Gospel according to Matthew 18:21-35 

Peter approached Jesus and asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive? 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 your brother from your heart.” The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

FOCUS: Forgiveness is a choice that leads to life. Life always offers us choices— will we hold onto anger or choose to forgive? Will we live with a spirit of compassion or withhold mercy? Will we hold onto hurts and grievances or extend a hand in peace? Living out the commands of God is no easy task, but if we show mercy and forgiveness to others, we are assured of the same from our heavenly Father.

LITURGY OF THE WORD: Sirach tells the people, Wrath and anger are hateful things, yet the sinner hugs them tight. Thus, they are to forgive their neighbor as they wish to be forgiven by the Lord. Paul tells the Romans, None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself. For if we live, we live for the Lord. In the Gospel, Jesus answers Peter’s question of how often he must forgive by telling him the parable of the unforgiving servant. 

REFLECTION: Reflecting on the gift of forgiveness God has given us, might enable us to forgive the debts we hold against others. Being changed by the forgiveness God always makes available to us, can enable us to forgive, the way God does, free of charge. 

So we ask ourselves:

 • What experience have I had of getting something for free that I needed, didn’t earn, or deserve? 

• Was I changed and deeply affected by that experience?

• Was I moved in a similar way to be as generous to another?

Original source can be found here.