From Thursday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time

Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?" Jesus answered, "I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.

A brave knight named Briand was insulted by a fellow man named Bruno. Briand vowed to take revenge. He carefully prepared a plan and time to take revenge.

He got up in the middle of the night, fully armed, and went to a deserted place where he knew Bruno would be passing by. On the way, he saw a small chapel open. He went there to ambush Bruno, and while he was waiting inside the chapel, he looked at three paintings in the chapel.

The first picture shows Jesus the Redeemer in a red robe, with a crown of thorns on his head, which is written in Latin, translated as "he was insulted, he returned no insult.

The second picture recalls the painful scene of Jesus being beaten, with the words: "when he suffered, he did not threaten."

And finally, the third picture shows Jesus on the Cross with the words: "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing."

Looking at the three paintings for a while, Briand's soul was deeply moved. He knelt down and began to pray. Gradually his hatred lessened, then disappeared. He was still waiting for his enemy there, not for vengeance, but for forgiving and reconciling with Bruno.

A Theologian said if all churches and all the books of the bible in the world are burned by fire but just remain only one sentence that Jesus said on the Cross, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing," then our Catholic Church and faith can be built on this alone.

That was the most powerful homily that Jesus gave given about forgiveness. Some even said that it was the most beautiful moment of Jesus' life on earth: to forgive those who were torturing and crucifying him.

The French often say: "To understand everything, it is necessary to forgive everything." In today's Gospel, Jesus calls each of us to a very high standard of mercy: true forgiveness from our hearts.

I know it is not easy for us to forgive others, especially those hurting us, and it is challenging for me to forgive others too. But it is essential to remember that God loves us, and he never gets tired of forgiving us every time we sin.

The Gospel today asks us two things: first, to remember our own faults, and second, to remember that we have been forgiven; therefore, we are called to forgive as Jesus does.

May God bless us all.