Daily Gospel Reflection
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March 17, 2020
Peter approached Jesus and said to him, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.
“For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made.
“So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt.
“But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’
“Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt.
“When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, 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 slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt.
“So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
How great the lengths of God’s forgiveness, how clear the call to follow the example of the Lord – and how stark the consequences of refusing to forgive! As Christians, our forgiveness should be limitless, as we must forgive “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times” (which in Biblical numerology is an unmistakable symbol of completeness and perfection). The king in Jesus’ parable provides a perfect example, forgiving his slave a massive sum of 10,000 talents, which makes the slave’s refusal to forgive a far smaller amount jarring.
Despite the challenge this gospel passage presents, it falls on a day when we have an incredible example of a saint who answered Jesus’ call to forgive and who, through that act, changed the world forever. That saint, of course, is St. Patrick.
St. Patrick was born in Britain, but as a teenager was kidnapped by raiders and sold into slavery in Ireland. He grew in faith during his time in slavery, and after six years, was able to escape and return home. However, even in his freedom, he was unable to ignore God’s call to forgiveness. He became a priest and returned to Ireland to evangelize in the land of his captivity. Ignited by his willingness to forgive, he set the Emerald Isle ablaze with the light of the Lord. Furthermore, the flame lit by Patrick was not extinguished with his death – that light would sustain Western Civilization after the fall of Rome, as Irish monks kept learning alive during the Dark Ages. The influence of St. Patrick is still felt around the world today, as millions bear his name (including my son) and millions more will wear green clothing adorned with shamrocks and proudly proclaim their association with the culture he formed in Christ.
As we proceed through this season of Lent, let us ask St. Patrick to intercede for us so that we may be granted the grace to accept Jesus’ call to forgive those who have wronged us. As the life of St. Patrick shows, the act of forgiveness, can have incredible consequences.
Prayer
Lord God, in your great mercy you sent your Son to pour out himself for our sins. By his blood, he paid the price that we are unable to pay. May we always give thanks for so great a gift of love and may we in turn show your love and mercy to our neighbors. Give us the gift of your healing forgiveness to soften our hearts to be able to love as you do. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Patrick is one of the Catholic Church’s most famous saints. His story is one of deep personal faithfulness, which led him to the edge of the known world where he evangelized the whole of Ireland.
Patrick was born in 389 to parents who were Roman officials helping to govern far-flung colonies of the Roman empire in the British Isles. He was kidnapped when he was a teenager and sold as a slave to a chieftain in Ireland, where he tended sheep. He would spend his days in the mountains, and he came to rely on God through prayer.
He would even stay late in the wilderness to continue his prayer. “Constantly I used to pray in the daytime. Love of God … increased more and more, and my faith grew and my spirit was stirred up,” he wrote. “I prayed in the woods and on the mountain, even before dawn. I felt no hurt from the snow or ice or rain."
After six years of servitude, he heard voices in a dream that told him to prepare for a difficult journey. He took the dream as a sign and ran away from his captors, covering 200 miles to reach the coast of Ireland. There, he joined a ship that was headed for the European mainland.
The ship reached land in a desolate place and Patrick and the sailors wandered for months, looking for civilization. At one point, they ran out of provisions and were on the brink of starvation. The sailors ridiculed Patrick for being a Christian who believed in a loving God, who apparently was allowing him to die of starvation.
“Turn in good faith and with all your heart to the Lord my God, to whom nothing is impossible,” Patrick replied, “that this day God may send you food in your journey until you are satisfied, for God has abundance everywhere.” A herd of pigs suddenly appeared and the party had more than enough to eat.
They finally reached safety, and Patrick was eventually reunited with his family. They were overjoyed at his return and tried to make him promise to stay with them. Patrick was touched by the people he had come to know in Ireland, however, and voices returned to his dreams, telling him, “We beg you, holy youth, to come and walk among us once more.”
Patrick resolved to follow this call and left home. He first studied at several monasteries and was ordained a priest, and then a bishop, before being sent as a missionary to Ireland because of his knowledge of the language and customs of the people there.
As he began his ministry in Ireland, Patrick returned to the mountain on which he used to pray as a young shepherd, where he fasted and prayed for 40 days. There he had a vision of the vast multitude of holy people that this land would produce, thanks to his efforts, and this vision gave him consolation and strength to face the many difficulties and challenges ahead.
In Ireland, Patrick made his way among the different clans and kingdoms, confronting paganism. He asked the leaders of Ireland to come together at Tara, the ancient seat of power on the island. There, he preached the Gospel and overcame the signs and magic of the druid pagan priests with the story of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Historical records confirm that some agreement was made there that allowed Patrick to continue his preaching.
The high king of Ireland was not converted, but members of his household were, which afforded Patrick some protection. Still, he faced much opposition and many threats to his life.
“Daily I expect either a violent death or to be robbed and reduced to slavery or the occurrence of some such calamity,” he wrote. “I have cast myself into the hands of the almighty God, for God rules everything. As the prophet says, ‘Cast your care upon the Lord, and God will sustain you.’”
At one point, his chariot driver, St. Odran, was assassinated by a spear intended for Patrick.
Thanks to Patrick’s evangelization the Gospel spread through Ireland rapidly. He overthrew local idols and built churches on those spots, and he gathered many followers and helpers around him. In 444, a cathedral was erected in Armagh, and that became a center of learning and the primary place of leadership for the Church in Ireland.
People who came into contact with Patrick had a deep impression that he cared for them and loved God intensely. In about 30 years, Patrick converted the whole of Ireland to Christianity, baptizing and confirming thousands. Ireland became known as the “land of the saints” and its monasteries saved much of Europe’s learning during the Dark Ages—all thanks to Patrick.
Patrick died on this date and was buried where he built his first church in Ireland. Our featured image today shows him depicted in stained glass in the special collections reading room in the Hesburgh Library. The other stained glass window and statue are from Dillon Hall. St. Patrick’s relics rest in the reliquary chapel.
St. Patrick, apostle of Ireland—pray for us!
Personalize and share prayers to St. Patrick with three digital prayer card options. Find them on FaithND at this link.