“If I cannot make room in my heart to forgive my neighbor such a small debt – if I cannot forgive 100 denarii – then I cannot make room for the great forgiveness that God grants me for 10,000 talents
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“The Lord depicted our sins against our neighbor as 100 denarii, while our sins against God are 10,000 talents.
“Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; and as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But that same servant, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ So his fellow servant fell down and besought him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ He refused and went and put him in prison till he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you besought me; and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his lord delivered him to the jailers, till he should pay all his debt. So also My heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.
“Sometimes I understand with my mind that God has commanded us to forgive, and I forgive – but the heart resists and does not want to. Yet if a person compels himself, prays, and asks God to soften his heart, then God will help him sincerely forgive his neighbor.
“Christians must forgive others from the heart, describing this as the place where God’s love and mercy are revealed
“forgiving others is essential for experiencing God’s mercy and becoming more like Him
“It is important and necessary to forgive everyone for everything in our hearts. This is where God’s love, His all-forgiving grace and His mercy towards every failure, every fall and every sin are revealed
“forgiving one’s neighbour is a condition for receiving the Holy Eucharist
