Episode #3194
Quit Counting: Forgiveness and Letting Go of Anger (Matthew 18) - Fr. PJ McManus - 09/11/2026
Fr. PJ McManus, back on the air after a lengthy sabbatical and now serving at Saint Catherine of Siena in the Drake neighborhood of Des Moines, previews the readings for the Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time: Sirach 27:30–28:7 and Matthew 18:21–35. Following Peter's arc over recent weeks — from confessing Jesus as the Christ to misunderstanding that the Messiah must suffer — Fr. PJ unpacks Peter's question, "How often must I forgive?" and Jesus' answer: stop counting. Fr. PJ describes forgiveness not as a one-and-done event, but as a free, habitual act of the will that moves toward the good of the person who wronged us. Reflecting on Sirach's warning that the sinner "hugs" wrath and anger tight, he draws on the Church Fathers: the involuntary flash of anger is more symptom than disease, but the danger comes when we welcome it, rehearse it, and justify it until it becomes the lens through which we see another person. He points to Saint John Cassian's image of gold or lead plates laid over the eyes — whether our anger is over something big or small, the blindness is the same, compromising our judgment, our charity, and our relationship with God. Connecting this Sunday to last week's Gospel on fraternal correction, Fr. PJ explains that the "two or three witnesses" are there not to gang up on someone, but to help the injured party see reality and the other person's perspective. He closes with a moving personal story of seeing someone who had hurt him deeply as a teenager come forward in his own Communion line, and invites listeners to ask the Lord what hurts they're still holding, what anger they're still hugging, and what they need to let go of in order to love again. Heard on the Catholic Morning Show, weekdays at 7 a.m. Central on Iowa Catholic Radio. More at IowaCatholicRadio.com . #SundayGospel #Forgiveness #SeventyTimesSeven #Matthew18 #LettingGo #CatholicHomily #IowaCatholicRadio #CatholicPodcast Credits: Produced, Edited, and Mixed by Ayden Pugh, Alexia Baker, and Brady Grimm. ENJOYING THE SHOW? Follow The Catholic Morning Show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you never miss an episode — and if this one was worth your time, please leave us a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating. It takes ten seconds and it's the single best way to help more people find the show. LISTEN LIVE Catch The Catholic Morning Show live, weekday mornings on Iowa Catholic Radio. Listen Live · Program Schedule · Our Stations LINKS You can follow us on Facebook, Instagram , Youtube, Tiktok ! More on our website . If you would like to support Iowa Catholic Radio you can donate Here! More from Iowa Catholic Radio: Sunday Dive with Katie Patrizio Man Up! with Joe Stopulos Catholic Women Now with Chris Magruder and Julie Nelson The Uncommon Good with Bo Bonner and Dr. Bud Marr Be Not Afraid with Fr. Fabian Moncada and Fr. Bruce Riebe Be Not Afraid en Español con el P. Fabián Moncada Making it Personal with Bishop William Joensen Faith and Family Finance with Gregory Waddle The Great Men of the Bible with Joe Stopulos Liturgy & Devotions The Daily Gospel Reflection with Fr. Nick Smith The Daily Mass from St. Francis of Assisi The Daily Mass from St. Pius X The Daily Mass from St. Theresa Sunday Mass from the Basilica of Saint John Want to support your favorite show? Click Here Iowa Catholic Radio - Connecting People to Christ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
