05-03-24 77 Kali Pengampunan: Membuka Pintu Surga dengan Belas Kasih

Tuesday 3rd week of Lent "Mt 18:21-35" Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven. Jesus tells the parable of the man who was forgiven his debt by his master, but he didn't forgive a fellow debtor, and in the end his own debt is claimed back again because he didn't have mercy on his fellow servant. "So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart." How many times we ask God, "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." We do not ask Him to forgive 'all my trespasses', or 'my trespasses according to Your Mercy', or 'because You are Good'. We persistently say in other words, 'Forgive me if I forgive, but if I do not forgive... please, do not forgive me!' John Gualberto was a member of the Visdomini family of Florentine nobility. On Good Friday, 1003, he was entering Florence accompanied by armed followers, when in a narrow lane he came upon a man who had killed his brother. The criminal had no escape. In a sudden outburst, the poor man knelt down and said to John Gualberto, "Today is Good Friday. For Christ Who died for us on the Cross: spare my life!" Ignoring his plea, John was about to strike the fatal blow when the man muttered, "Jesus, Son of God, at least you forgive me." Upon hearing this, John threw the sword away, raised the murderer and embraced him saying, "For Christ's sake, for His blood poured out on the Cross for us, I forgive you." Moved by what had happened, John Gualberto dismissed his followers and went to the Benedictine Church at San Miniato to pray. As he was praying in front of a wooden Crucifix, the figure on the Crucifix bowed its head to him in recognition of his generosity. John Gualberto entered that same Benedictine monastery and eventually became St John Gualberto. Forgiveness opened for him the way to conversion and holiness. Our Lady, Mother of Mercy, intercede for us so that we learn to forgive.