Saint Bonaventure Catholic Church recently issued the following announcement.

How often must I forgive? (Matthew 18:21) 

 In his very first Sunday homily as the Holy Father, Pope Francis proclaimed, “This is the Lord’s most powerful message: mercy” (March 17, 2013). Since that day, he has repeated over and over the marvelous truth that God’s mercy has no bounds. That’s precisely the problem with the heartless servant in today’s Gospel: his mercy had limited, clearly defined boundaries.  

How boundless is God’s mercy? 

The best way to answer that is to consider what our lives would be like without it. Imagine a world with no tenderness, no forgiveness, no compassion. Imagine being bound in your sin and selfishness, your guilt and shame, with no way out. Now imagine God sacrificing himself not only to rescue you, but to offer you the promise of eternal life with him in heaven. That’s how boundless his mercy is. That’s how deeply he loves you.  Struck by the depth of God’s love, how can we do anything but bow down to him in worship and show that same mercy to the people around us?  Mercy is not just an abstract idea or a nice theory. It’s a concrete reality. It’s not just a message that we can choose to live out when it’s convenient for us. God’s mercy for us is meant to be at the heart of how we think and act toward each other. It’s meant to be the characteristic that sets us apart in a world caught up in self-righteousness, division, and unforgiveness: It’s the best way we can reveal God’s love and invite people to taste it themselves.  

Peter asked Jesus, “How often must I forgive?” (Matthew 18:21). 

He was looking for a solid number of times, after which he was off the hook. He was asking about the rules. But for the one who has grasped the depths of God’s mercy, rules and limits no longer matter.  

May we all taste this mercy more deeply today so that we can become more merciful as well. “Thank you, Jesus, for showering me with your love.

 Lord, help me to be more merciful.”

Original source can be found here.