Twenty-fourth Ordinary

Matthew 18: 21 – 22

At that point Peter had the nerve to ask, “Master, how many times do I forgive a brother or sister who hurts me? Seven?” Jesus replied, “Seven! Hardly. Try seventy times seven.”

Jesus does not give educators permission to become doormats. It gives us a challenge to stop keeping score.

In schools, people will disappoint us. A colleague will say the wrong thing. A student will push every button. A parent will send the email that tests our patience. Someone will make a decision we strongly disagree with. Sometimes the hardest part of working with people is working with people.

But here is the uncomfortable question Jesus puts in front of us: Are we building a culture where people are defined by their worst moment, or one where people are given the space to grow beyond it?

Forgiveness is not pretending something did not happen. It is refusing to let resentment become the culture.

Catholic education cannot preach dignity, mercy and second chances while quietly operating on grudges, labels and old stories. We cannot keep saying, “That is just who they are,” when the Gospel keeps insisting that people can change.

So perhaps the challenge today is simple.

Stop keeping the spreadsheet of who has annoyed you, disappointed you, frustrated you or let you down. Stop dragging yesterday into every conversation about today. Name what needs to be named. Set boundaries where they are needed. Have the difficult conversation. Then choose the radical freedom of letting go.

Because forgiveness is not weakness.

Sometimes it is the strongest leadership move we can make.