Sep 5, 2026 Written by 

A space that opens up before us

2. Forgiveness! Christ taught us to forgive. He spoke of forgiveness many times and in various ways. When Peter asked him how many times he should forgive his neighbour – ‘up to seven times?’ – Jesus replied that he should forgive ‘seventy times seven’ (Mt 18:21ff). In practice, this means always: indeed, the number ‘seventy’ multiplied by ‘seven’ is symbolic, and signifies, rather than a specific quantity, an incalculable, infinite quantity. In answering the question of how one ought to pray, Christ uttered those magnificent words addressed to the Father: ‘Our Father who art in heaven’; and amongst the petitions that make up this prayer, the last one speaks of forgiveness: ‘Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors’ – that is, those who have wronged us. Finally, Christ himself confirmed the truth of these words on the Cross, when, turning to the Father, he implored: ‘Forgive them!’, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do’ (Luke 23:34).
‘Forgiveness’ is a word spoken by a man who has been wronged. Indeed, it is the word of the human heart. In this word of the heart, each of us strives to overcome the barrier of enmity that may separate us from another, seeking to rebuild the inner space of understanding, contact and bond. Christ taught us through the words of the Gospel, and above all through his own example, that this space opens up not only before our fellow human beings, but at the same time before God himself. The Father, who is the God of forgiveness and mercy, desires to act precisely within this space of human forgiveness; he desires to forgive those who are mutually capable of forgiving one another, those who seek to put into practice these words: ‘Forgive us, … as we forgive’.
Forgiveness is a grace which must be contemplated with profound humility and gratitude. It is a mystery of the human heart, which is difficult to expound upon.
5. Christ taught us to forgive. Forgiveness is also indispensable so that God may pose questions to the human conscience, to which He awaits a response in all inner truth.
In this age, when so many innocent people perish at the hands of others, there seems to be a particular need to draw near to each of those who kill, to draw near with forgiveness in our hearts and with the very same question that God, the Creator and Lord of human life, put to the first man who had attempted to take his brother’s life and had taken it away – having taken that which belongs solely to the Creator and Lord of life.
Christ taught us to forgive. He taught Peter to forgive ‘up to seventy times seven’ (Mt 18:22). God himself forgives when man responds to the question addressed to his conscience and his heart with all the inner truth of conversion.
Leaving judgement and sentence in their definitive form to God himself, let us never cease to ask: ‘Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors’.
[Pope John Paul II, General Audience, 21 October 1981]

83 Last modified on Saturday, 05 September 2026 03:14
don Giuseppe Nespeca

Giuseppe Nespeca è architetto e sacerdote. Cultore della Sacra scrittura è autore della raccolta "Due Fuochi due Vie - Religione e Fede, Vangeli e Tao"; coautore del libro "Dialogo e Solstizio".

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He is “the very stone which the builders rejected” (cf. Mt 21:42), because they judged him to be hostile to the law and a danger to public order [Pope Benedict]
Egli è “la pietra che i costruttori hanno scartato” (cfr Mt 21,42), perché l’hanno giudicato nemico della legge e pericoloso per l’ordine pubblico [Papa Benedetto]
"His" in a very literal sense: the One whom only the Son knows as Father, and by whom alone He is mutually known. We are now on the same ground, from which the prologue of the Gospel of John will later arise (Pope John Paul II)
“Suo” in senso quanto mai letterale: Colui che solo il Figlio conosce come Padre, e dal quale soltanto è reciprocamente conosciuto. Ci troviamo ormai sullo stesso terreno, dal quale più tardi sorgerà il prologo del Vangelo di Giovanni (Papa Giovanni Paolo II)
That 'always seeing the face of the Father' is the highest manifestation of the worship of God. It can be said to constitute that 'heavenly liturgy', performed on behalf of the whole universe [John Paul II]
Quel “vedere sempre la faccia del Padre” è la manifestazione più alta dell’adorazione di Dio. Si può dire che essa costituisce quella “liturgia celeste”, compiuta a nome di tutto l’universo [Giovanni Paolo II]
But what moves me even more strongly to proclaim the urgency of missionary evangelization is the fact that it is the primary service which the Church can render to every individual and to all humanity [Redemptoris Missio n.2]
Ma ciò che ancor più mi spinge a proclamare l'urgenza dell'evangelizzazione missionaria è che essa costituisce il primo servizio che la chiesa può rendere a ciascun uomo e all'intera umanità [Redemptoris Missio n.2]
Freedom and love coincide! On the contrary, obeying one’s selfishness leads to rivalry and conflict (Pope Benedict)
Libertà e amore coincidono! Al contrario, obbedire al proprio egoismo conduce a rivalità e conflitti (Papa Benedetto)
Are they not all spirits charged with a ministry, sent to serve those who are to inherit salvation? (Heb 1:14)
Non sono essi tutti spiriti incaricati di un ministero, inviati per servire coloro che devono ereditare la salvezza? (Eb 1,14)
The Church with its permanent contradiction: between the ideal and reality, the more annoying contradiction, the more the ideal is affirmed sublime, evangelical, sacred, divine, and the reality is often petty, narrow, defective, sometimes even selfish (Pope Paul VI)
La Chiesa con la sua permanente contraddizione: tra l’ideale e la realtà, tanto più fastidiosa contraddizione, quanto più l’ideale è affermato sublime, evangelico, sacro, divino, e la realtà si presenta spesso meschina, angusta, difettosa, alcune volte perfino egoista (Papa Paolo VI)
At first they say “yes” to God’s will, but their piety becomes routine and God no longer matters to them [Pope Benedict]
Essi, prima, dicono “sì” alla volontà di Dio. Ma la loro religiosità diventa routine, e Dio non li inquieta più [Papa Benedetto]
And «each of us can say: "for love to me"» (Pope Francis)
E «ognuno di noi può dire: “per amore a me”» (Papa Francesco)
We too, to reach a more conscious confession of Jesus Christ must follow, like Peter, a path made of attentive, caring listening (Pope John Paul II)
Anche noi per giungere a una più consapevole confessione di Gesù Cristo dobbiamo percorrere, come Pietro, un cammino fatto di ascolto attento, premuroso (Papa Giovanni Paolo II)

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