Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, September 13, 2026
A Marine was sharing a story about how he accidentally cut off another vehicle while driving. When they arrived at a stoplight, the other driver got out, approached the Marine’s window, and started screaming at him. The Marine said the man was much smaller than he was. He could have gotten out and confronted him too. But he kept his window up and simply said, “I’m sorry. I messed up.” And the other man’s demeanor totally changed. He said, “It’s OK,” walked away, and got back in his car. …What does it mean to forgive? I think the definition we can draw from today’s Gospel passage is this: To forgive is to release someone from our debt, specifically, releasing them from the grudge and the desire to get even. The Marine apologized for his carelessness, and the other man forgave him. The Marine also had to forgive the other guy for escalating the situation. They both let it go. Now, those are relatively minor offenses. They happen all the time. But what if the wrong done again...