Sermon on Second Sunday Before Advent - Fr Sam

In this deeply honest and pastoral reflection, Fr Sam unpacks one of Jesus’ most challenging teachings, forgiveness without limit. Drawing from Matthew 18, where Peter asks how many times he must forgive, Fr Sam explores what it really means to live out forgiveness “seventy times seven.”

Through a powerful personal story of betrayal and hurt from his time as a pastoral assistant, Fr Sam illustrates how forgiveness is not about ignoring pain or pretending everything is fine. Instead, it begins at the altar,“Drown them in the chalice,” his priest once told him, meaning that true forgiveness starts in the presence and grace of Jesus.

Fr Sam reminds us that forgiveness is not weakness, denial, or instant healing. It’s a journey of grace, often slow and painful, where we bring our hurt to God again and again until mercy begins to reshape us. Forgiveness, he says, is not something we manufacture; it is something God does within us.

In a world where many wounds run deep, in relationships, communities, and faith, this episode invites us to rediscover forgiveness not as obligation, but as the path to freedom and peace.