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 blessed are  the  merciful,  and  only  the  merciful,  for they alone  shall  obtain  mercy.

The Gospel  parable  is  Our  Lord's  answer  to Peter,  who  had  just  asked:  "  Lord,  how  often  shall I  forgive  my  brother  his  offences  against  me? Seven  times? "  Our  Lord  answered:  "  I  say  to thee  not  seven  times,  but  seventy  times  seven  times." We read  that  the  just  man  falls  seven  times  a  day; if you  remember,  there  are  seven  deadly  sins;  and seven out  of  the  ten  commandments  treat  of  man's duty  to  man;  and  for  one  or  all  of  these  reasons Peter saw  fit  to  make  seven  pardons  the  limit  of forbearance. But Our  Lord  had  previously  said: " Be  ye  merciful,  as  your  heavenly  Father  is merciful,"  and  as  the  mercy  of  God  is  infinite, therefore He  now  teaches  Peter,  and  through  Peter He teaches  us,  to  know  in  pardoning  neither  measure nor  number. This lesson,  I  repeat,  is  meant  for us, for  Our  Lord  speaks  not  to  Peter  the  priest,  but to Peter  the  man;  He  defines  Peter's  duty  not  as  the minister of  the  Sacrament  of  Penance,  but  as  the Christian in  the  ups  and  downs  of  daily  life. For, in his  question,  Peter  had  spoken  of  offences  against himself; whereas,  the  priest  in  the  confessional  deals with offences  against  God;  and  Our  Lord,  in  His answer, inculcates  unconditional  forgiveness,  which, for the  priest  in  the  confessional,  is  oftentimes  impossible. To the  individual,  to  each  individual Christian, is  directed  this  precept  of  love  and  forgiveness.

Christ having  answered  Peter  proceeds,  accord-