Meditation Mt 18,21-35

Stand in God’s presence. God is present here and now, looking upon you with love.

Ask for the Grace:I will beg God our Lord that all my intentionsand actions may be directed purely to the praise and serviceof His Divine Majesty

Fixing a place, a picture for meditation: Let the parable of Jesus be a picture: see the king in the room in his castle. How does this chamber look like? What does the king look like? The king decides to settle accounts with his slaves. Then one, who owed him 10,000 talents was brought to him. The slave could not pay, so the king tells him to sell it with his wife, children and other property. Then the slave was probably scared. He fell on his knees and begins to beg the king for mercy. The king gives him debt and lets him go. The same slave leaves the royal palace and met his debtor. He grabs him and begins to suffocate. He tells him to give him all the debt. However, he does not forgive him and puts him in jail. The king finds out quickly about this situation and calls on the debtor. The king being full of anger gives him to the executioners until he gives his debt. Where do you find yourself in this scene?

Ask for the fruit of meditation: that I would like to forgive myself and others, just as God forgives me 

1.   Forgiveness.

In the passage under consideration, the slave pleads for his master’s pity to show him patience and give him time to pay the debt. The Lord gives him debt. The situation is not simple. For the servant has such a large debt that he realizes that he will not be able to give it back. The Lord knows it too. However, he gives him debt. He deliberately agrees to incur a loss.Every forgiveness is connected with incurring a loss, recognizing this loss, meeting with your own pain and suffering. Perhaps that is why it is difficult. Forgiveness is our act of will, that is, informed consent to bear my loss and thereby to blame the other person. This does not mean, however, that our wound will not bleed, that I will forget about the situation. All the more forgiveness is not reconciliation, because there is a long way to go. Like to rebuild trust. Forgiveness can even mean breaking the relationship. In forgiveness, it’s about my inner attitude to the other person, so that I will not grow feelings that will stimulate me to some kind of revenge, to play on the other person, but with more and more calm I can say that I wish good to my culprit.

a)     What is forgiveness for you? What is the biggest difficulty for you in the process of forgiveness? See also what you gain thanks to forgiveness? What goods begin to sprout then?

b)      Forgiveness is not just about other people. We often accuse ourselves of not being able to behave differently, that we let others harm ourselves. Look at yourself: what do you want to forgive yourself today? Hug yourself and say: I’m sorry for that …

2.  God’s mercy.

God loves you and he first comes to you and forgives you for your sins, faults. He does it out of love, for him, forgiveness is always a profit, meaning an ever-renewed relationship with a human being. Meet Jesus as much as you can with the One who accepts you as you are, with all your difficulties and with these joyful parts.

Meditation:St Ignatius encourages in The Spiritual Exercises No. 2 … Because not so much knowledge, but internal feeling and the taste of things please and saturate the soul, that is, we stay where we feel interior movement … and nervously do not try to go on.

The final conversation: Spend a little time at the end, being with God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit….as you would with a good friend: sometimes talking, sometimes listening, sometimes being together in silence. Speak to God about your feelings. Remember that times when ‘nothing is happening’ can also be significant. When you’re ready, end your prayer by saying thank you or using words that are familiar, such as the Lord’s Prayer (Our Father)–whichever feels right and comfortable. (The Spiritual Exercises No.54)