Commentary: 24th Sun. OT A

Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, A



Sirach 27:30-28:7

Psalm 103

Romans 14: 7-9

Matthew 18: 21-35



The readings today are concerned with forgiveness. The First Reading, from Sirach, sums up the attitude of the author in these words: “Should a man nourish anger against his fellows and expect healing from the Lord?” The Responsorial Psalm emphasizes the forgiving nature of God, with its refrain singing: “The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger and rich in compassion.” The Gospel begins with Peter (this is his third Sunday on-stage) asking Jesus, “How often must I forgive my brother?” Jesus responds with the parable of the unforgiving servant. This parable is unique to the Gospel according to Matthew. Since this comes at the end of a series of material on the community, it relates strongly to the Church’s authority to bind and loose (21 OT A), the need of each Christian to take up the cross (22 OT A), and the function of discipline in the church community (23 OT A). The point of the story, Jesus says, is this: “My heavenly Father will treat you in exactly the same way unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart.”



Saint Augustine says about this, “If we think of our sins, reckoning up those we have committed by sight, hearing, thought, and countless disorderly emotions, I do not know whether we can even sleep without falling into debt. And so, every day we pray; every day we beat upon God’s ears with our pleas; every day we prostrate ourselves before Him, saying, “Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Which of our trespasses, all of them, or only some? All, you will answer. Do likewise, therefore, with those who have offended you. This is the rule you have laid down for yourself, the condition you have stipulated. When you pray according to this pact and covenant, you remember to say: “Forgive us, as we also forgive our debtors.” (Sermo 83)



The in-course reading of Romans concludes this week. This week’s Second Reading is a hymn of praise of Christ, who is our Lord: “While we live we are responsible to the Lord, and when we die, we die as His servants. Both in life and in death, we are the Lord’s.” Because of this, we cannot judge one another in terms of ritual behavior; rather, we look to the Lord and judge only ourselves.



One of the Antiphons on the Gospel Canticles from the Liturgy of the Hours is taken from today's Gospel. You can hear a chant setting of it on the recording, "Music for the Year of Matthew," sung by the Schola Cantorum of St. Peter's in the Loop, published by The Liturgical Press (www.litpress.org)