Sunday of the Twenty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time – A Time of Lectio Divina for the Discerning Heart Podcast

0:00A time of Lexio Divina for the discerning heart. Sunday of the 24th week in ordinary time. As you begin, take a deep breath and exhale slowly. For the next few moments, surrender all the cares and concerns of the stay to the Lord. Say slowly from your heart, Jesus, I trust in you. You take over.

1:01Become aware that He is with you, looking upon you with love, wanting to be heard deep within your heart. A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew, chapter 18 verses 21 through 35. Peter went up to Jesus and said, Lord, how often must I forgive my brother if he wrongs me, as often as seven times? Jesus answered, not seven I tell you, but 77 times. And so the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who decided to settle his accounts with his servants.

2:02When the reckoning began, they brought him a man who owed ten thousand talents, but he had no means of paying, so his master gave orders that he should be sold, together with his wife and children, and all his possessions to meet the dead. At this, the servant threw himself down at his master's feet. Give me time, he said, and I will pay the whole sum. And the servant's master felt sorry for him, and he let him go and canceled the debt. Now as this servant went out, he happened to meet a fellow servant who owed him one hundred denari, and he seized him by the throat and began to thronel him. Pay what you owe me, he said. His fellow servant fell at his feet and implored him, saying, give me time and I will pay you. But the other would not agree, on the contrary, he had him thrown into prison till he should pay the debt. His fellow servants were deeply distressed when they saw what had happened, and they went to their master and reported the whole affair to him.

3:10Then the master sent for him. You wicked servant, he said. I cancelled all that debt of yours when you appealed to me. Were you not bound then to have pity on your fellow servant just as I had pity on you? And in his anger, the master handed him over to the torturers till he should pay all his debt. And that is how my Heavenly Father will deal with you, unless you each forgive your brother from your heart. What word made this passage come alive for you? What did you sense the Lord saying to you? What did you sense the Lord saying to you?

4:24Once more, give the Lord an opportunity to speak to you. Peter went up to Jesus and said, Lord, how often must I forgive my brother if he wrongs me? Is often seven times? Jesus answered, not seven. I tell you, but 77 times. And so the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who decided to settle his accounts with the servants. When the reckoning began, they brought him a man who owed 10,000 talents, but he had no means of pain. So his master gave orders that he should be sold together with his wife and children and all his possessions to meet the debt. At this, the servant threw himself down at his master's feet. Give me time, he said, and I will pay the whole sum. And the servant's master felt so sorry for him that he let him go and cancelled the debt.

5:30Now, as the servant went out, he happened to meet a fellow servant who owed him 100 denari, and he seized him by the throat and began to throttle him. Pay what you owe me, he said. This fellow servant fell at his feet and implored him, saying, give me time, and I will pay you. But the other would not agree on the contrary. He had him thrown into prison till he should pay the debt. This fellow servants were deeply distressed when they saw what had happened, and they went to their master and reported the whole affair to him. Then the master said for him, you wicked servant, he said. I cancelled all that debt of yours when you appealed to me. Were you not bound then to have pity on your fellow servant just as I had pity on you? And in his anger, the master handed him over to the tortures till he should pay all his debt.

6:34And that is how my Heavenly Father will deal with you, unless you each forgive your brother from your heart. What did your heart feel as you listened? What did you sense the Lord saying to you? Once more, through him, with him, and in him, listen to the Word. Peter went up to Jesus and said, Lord, how often must I forgive my brother if he wrongs me? As often as seven times?

7:39Jesus answered, not seven I tell you, but 77 times. And so the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who decided to settle his accounts with his servants. When the reckoning began, they brought him a man who owed ten thousand talents, but he had no means of paying. So his master gave orders that he should be sold, together with his wife and children, and all his possessions to meet the debt. At this, the servant threw himself down at his master's feet. Give me time, he said, and I will pay the whole sum. And the servant's master felt sorry for him, and he let him go and canceled the debt. Now as this servant went out, he happened to meet a fellow servant who owed him one hundred denari, and he seized him by the throat and began to throttle him. Pay what you owe me, he said. His fellow servant fell at his feet and implored him, saying, give me time and I will pay you.

8:44But the other would not agree. On the contrary, he had him thrown into prison till he should pay the debt. His fellow servants were deeply distressed when they saw what had happened, and they went to their master and reported the whole affair to him. Then the master sent for him. You wicked servant, he said. I canceled all that debt of yours when you appealed to me. Were you not bound then to have pity on your fellow servant just as I had pity on you? And in his anger, the master handed him over to the torturers till he should pay all his debt. And that is how my Heavenly Father will deal with you, unless you each forgive your brother from your heart. What touched your heart in this time of prayer? What touched your heart in this time of prayer?

9:57What did your heart feel as you prayed? What did your heart feel as you prayed? What did your heart feel as you prayed? What did your heart feel as you prayed? What do you hope to carry with you from this time with the Lord? Let us now close with the prayer to the Father that Jesus gave us. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done.

10:57On earth, as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses. As we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen. Amen.

12:25Amen. Amen.