Mercy Received, Mercy Given: A Father's Call to Forgive

Fathers of Saint Joseph – Meeting Reflection

Saturday, 5th July 2025

As we gathered in SMA Parish, Blackrock Road, Cork, after the Mass, enjoying coffee and scones generously provided by a fellow father of the group, we shared a time of fellowship and reflection rooted in Scripture and fatherhood.

This week, we continued our journey through the book LEAD: The Four Marks of Fatherly Greatness with a reflection on Reading 170: The Two Conditions of Mercy, from Pillar IV – Discover the Disciple.

The reading highlights that true mercy has two sides: we must receive it and also give it. To illustrate this, it refers to the parable in Matthew 18:21–35, where Jesus tells of a king who forgives his servant a massive, unpayable debt out of compassion. Yet that same servant, after being shown mercy, refuses to forgive a fellow servant who owes him a much smaller amount. Instead of showing the same compassion, he acts harshly and without mercy. When the king hears of this, he is outraged and punishes the unforgiving servant. Jesus concludes with a warning: unless we forgive others from the heart, we cannot expect to receive forgiveness from our Heavenly Father. The message is clear — we are called not only to accept God's great mercy but to mirror it in our relationships with others.

During our meeting, two fathers shared their initial reflections:

• The first father focused on the staggering difference in the debts: the servant owed the master the equivalent of 190,000 years’ wages, while the second man owed just 100 days’ wages. He pointed out how absurd it is that the forgiven servant showed no mercy. This highlights how we often forget the enormous mercy we’ve received from God.

• The second father shared his thoughts after finishing the Book of Genesis. He reflected on how God repeatedly gives chances before chastising, showing great patience and mercy — which contrasts with the common view of the “harsh” God of the Old Testament.

In the group discussion, several key insights emerged:

• The Old Testament shows humanity’s repeated falls — but also God’s persistent efforts to lift us up and free us from sin. His discipline is always full of purpose and love.

• Our children’s mistakes often mirror our own. This gives us a chance to be merciful as God is with us.

• Children imitate what they see. If we model mercy and humility, they will be more likely to do the same.

My Personal Reflection

The Gospel parable made me reflect on how quick we are to judge others over small faults while forgetting how much God has forgiven us. Mercy brings hope — we deserve the consequences of our faults, but God meets us like a loving father, lifts us up, heals our wounds, and gives us the strength to start again. In the end, everything we discussed echoes one simple but powerful line we pray daily:

“Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

Let’s strive to live that out — especially with our children.

Author: Marcelo Bastos – Cork, 10 July 2025