Foreign week in lent is from St. Matthew 18th chapter 21st to the 35th verse. Peter approached Jesus and asked him, 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 77 times. That is why the kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. When it began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount.

Since he had no way of paying back, his master ordered him to be sold along with his wife, his children and all his property in payment of the debt that the servant fell down, did him homage and said, be patient with me and I will pay you back in full. Moved with compassion, the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan. When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount. He seized him and started to choke him, demanding pay back what you owe. Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him, be patient with me and I will pay you back. But he refused and said he had him put in prison until he paid back the debt.

Now when this fellow servant saw what had happened, they were deeply disturbed and went to their master and reported the whole affair. His master summoned him and said to him, you wicked servant, I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant as I had pity on you that in anger his master had handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. So will my Heavenly Father do to you unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart. I want you to focus on the man who was forgiven in enormous debt and yet didn’t experience forgiveness, therefore wasn’t able to forgive. The question is, do you believe that you are forgiven?

Foreign the Closing Prayer Father, your gift of forgiveness is the heart of your message. Open our hearts to experience the love that is unconditional and we ask this in Jesus name, Amen.