Saint Paul Cathedral Parish issued the following announcement on September 13.

St. Peter must have thought himself magnanimous when he suggested to Jesus that forgiving someone seven times would be an indication of the immensity of God’s mercy and a sign of discipleship. Jesus must have just shaken his head at that response. He is quick to add: “No Peter. Not seven times. Seven times is not nearly enough. Seventy-times seven times.” Jesus is calling those who desire to be Christian to reflect in every circumstance and situation a forgiving heart. As Pope Francis indicated Christians must find it in themselves to forgive over and over again; we must be agents of mercy in the world in which we live. What a challenging summons indeed. In fact, for many of us this is altogether impossible to imagine; we find it hard to forgive someone once, let alone seventy times seven times.Saint Paul speaks to the heart of this summons in our second reading: “None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself. For if we live, we live for the Lord.” Jesus suffered and died on the Cross for our sins; he endured the greatest human cruelty and suffering imaginable so that we might be redeemed through the blood of the sacrifice offered on that Holy Cross of Calvary. Can we imagine for a moment how deeply God loves each of us – to be able to extend his mercy, his forgiveness, his tender compassion and patience to the likes of us? This is a gift given to us over and over again – if we approach him with sincerity and true repentance, and with a desire to change. Our Loving Father asks no questions of us; he holds no grudges; he doesn’t condemn us or push us aside. But like the prodigal son we are embraced and washed clean by the loving mercy of the Father who desires nothing other than our humble and sincere desire for his gift.No wonder we read in wisdom of Sirach this Sunday that “wrath and anger are hateful things.” How can anyone of us who continually experience the mercy and forgiveness of our God find it in our heart to “nourish anger against another,” “to harbor our neighbor’s injustices,” and “to refuse mercy to another like ourselves?” Psalm 103 should be our constant prayer, reflected on over and over again each day: “The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger and rich in compassion.” Do we strive each day to overcome those human emotions and shortcomings that make us more like the unforgiving servant in the Gospel who was released of his own debts but refused to do the same for his neighbor? Or are we working each day to become the merciful and forgiving servant who reflects the merciful kindness of our neighbor? It isn’t easy; but we can accomplish much through God’s grace, through prayer and discipline, by our good deeds. After all the words of Jesus should move our hearts each day to work for the perfection he desires: “I forgave your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have done the same to your neighbor? So will my heavenly Father do to you unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart.”

Original source can be found here.