Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent

1. Lectio

Peter approached Jesus and asked him,
“Lord, if my brother sins against me,
how often must I forgive him?
As many as seven times?”

Jesus answered,
“I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times…”

Matthew 18:21-35

And so Jesus tells the parable of the servant whose enormous debt was forgiven—yet who immediately seized another by the throat for a much smaller one.

Behind this enormous invisible force that affects us all, there are only a handful of companies, whose founders were recently presented as the creators of the “Person of the Year 2025,” or the architects of artificial intelligence. This gives rise to significant concerns about the oligopolistic control of algorithmic systems and artificial intelligence, which are capable of subtly influencing behavior and even rewriting human history — including the history of the Church — often without us really realizing it.

A possible alliance

If the Centennial pillar of Communion calls me to listen, discern, and walk together in truth, do I recognize the hidden powers shaping my perceptions—or do I unknowingly accumulate a debt against communion by allowing a handful of unseen voices to influence my understanding of the Church and her history?

2. Meditatio

I have always lived dangerously close to the upper limits of my debt-to-income ratio—both financially and spiritually.

Financially, there are Parent PLUS loans from my children’s college years that will likely follow me faithfully to the grave like loyal but rather expensive dogs.

But my spiritual accounting is far more curious.

When I examine the ledger of my life in the Church, I often discover that I have carefully recorded what I believe is owed to me, while conveniently neglecting the astronomical figure of what I owe to God.

After all the hours of ministry, the mowing of lawns, the prison visits, the catechesis, the meetings—surely a man accrues a little spiritual credit somewhere along the way.

Surely I am owed something.

Unfortunately, the Gospel insists on auditing my books.

And when the audit comes, the figures are devastating.

For in my heart I have sometimes behaved exactly like the servant in the parable—forgetting the massive forgiveness granted to me while seizing others by the throat for what I believe they owe.

In my case the debt has taken the form of a monument: the Tribute to Bishop Matthiesen, erected by the defrocked priest John Salazar.

Over the years I have tried—quite vigorously—to collect what I believed the Diocese owed me regarding that matter.

But the Gospel interrupts my accounting with a most uncomfortable question:

Have I forgotten the vast and embarrassing number of debts that God has already forgiven me?

There are incidents in my life so mortifying that they can scarcely be mentioned outside a confessional.

If the full balance sheet of my soul were publicly displayed, I suspect I would immediately lose all interest in collecting debts from anyone else.

Recently the bishop responded to my request with a letter asking for patience and explaining that the present moment is not the time to reopen the matter.

And so I stand at the crossroads of the parable.

Will I forgive as I have been forgiven?

Or will I clutch my spiritual ledger book like a banker of resentment, carefully recording every grievance owed to me?

3. Contemplatio (Chestertonian Synthesis)

There is something profoundly Christian about debt:

The only safe place to keep accounts is in the mercy of God.

Spending a life serving the poor, forgiving injuries, and trusting that charity settles accounts is far more effective than justice alone.

Saints are not people who deny the existence of debts—

They are people who have discovered that mercy is the only currency accepted in heaven.

4. Oratio

5. Actio — In Light of Laudato Si’ and Synodality

Our world has a grave social debt towards the poor who lack access to drinking water, because they are denied the right to a life consistent with their inalienable dignity.

Laudato si’ §30

Authentic relationships require a spirit of reconciliation and humility. Synodality asks the Church to walk together, not as adversaries collecting debts, but as brothers and sisters practicing mercy.

Today I will release one grievance I have been holding onto—especially in my thoughts or conversations—and entrust it to God’s mercy.

6. Song Pairing 🎵

🎶 Ray Charles – Busted (Live at Montreux 1997)🎵

7. Movie Pairing 🎬

🎬Movie: Forgive Us Our Debts (2018)

My Story

• Bishop Matthiesen, who rode the white horse of public activism even as he brought abusive priests into our diocese such as John Salazar—wounds that still mark us today. I spoke with him often, pleading with him to reconsider his “no regrets” about bringing those priests here…
• Bishop Yanta, who sought to enforce the Dallas Charter even when Bishop Matthiesen resisted him, and who bore the personal and pastoral cost of doing so. I met with Bishop Yanta about Bishop Matthiessen’s “no regrets” stance. He listened. He believed me. He acted where he could. And when he retired, he urged me—quietly but firmly—to keep speaking out.
• Bishop Zurek, who told the Diocese of Amarillo he had “no facts” about the Philadelphia report even as Amarillo’s connection to that tragedy was headline news. When I continued to speak out, as Bishop Yanta had once urged me to do, he later wrote that I was not among the faithful and loyal disciples whom the Lord Jesus desires.
• Bishop Daniel Cardinal DiNardo…

While we recognize your thoughtful suggestion for a renewed dialogue on Bishop Matthiesen, the present circumstances do not present an opportunity for it. I think it would foster division not dialogue. We remain confident in God’s providence and hopeful for what the future may bring.

from a letter dated March 5, 2026