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St. Cuthbert Anglican Church | "Growing, Knowing & Sharing God's Love" | |
St. Cuthbert's, here is your weekly focus on things that are
happening in the parish. Read and stay connected.
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Why Is Forgiveness Difficult For Humanity?
This past week, in my daily Bible reading, I was reading from Matthew 18:21–35, where our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ tells the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, and the issue of forgiveness really hit me very hard. When Peter asks if forgiving someone seven times is enough, Jesus responds that one must forgive “seventy-seven times” (or “seventy times seven”); I whistled, if not bristled, because this is a very hard matter indeed for all of us who are human beings. Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, being intuitive then as he is now about how we react to this, then shares a parable of a king who forgave a servant an astronomical debt (ten thousand talents), only for that same servant to go out and choke a fellow servant over a tiny debt (a hundred denarii). When the king finds out, he hands the unforgiving servant over to be tortured until he pays back all he owed.
I immediately placed my Seminary days Ethics Class to evaluate this parable through a three-pronged framework of forgiveness—examining the Offence, the Perpetrator, and the Survivor (or Victim).
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What we see clearly is why forgiveness runs so deeply against human nature and why it is one of the most difficult ethical and spiritual practices for all humanity.
1. The Offence: The Reality of Asymmetry & Debt
The first reason forgiveness is difficult lies in the nature of the offence itself and how human beings perceive harm versus grace:
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The Weight of Transgression: An offence causes real damage—emotional, physical, relational, or financial. It creates an undeniable deficit or “debt.”
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Distorted Perspective & Self-Justification: In the parable, the unforgiving servant experienced immense debt relief, yet immediately hyper-focused on the minor debt owed to him. Human beings naturally minimize the offences they commit against others (or against God) while magnifying the offences committed against them.
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The Cost of Absorbing the Debt: Forgiveness requires the party who was wronged to absorb the loss rather than extracting payment or vengeance. Relinquishing the right to “settle the score” feels deeply counterintuitive because justice demands that a debt be paid.
2. The Perpetrator: Unworthiness & Lack of Control
The second obstacle relates to the perpetrator who caused the harm:
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Lack of True Repentance: Human beings find it exceptionally hard to forgive when the perpetrator shows no remorse, offers an insincere apology, or continues harmful behaviours. In the parable, the fellow servant pleaded for time, but the first servant refused to grant grace.
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The Vulnerability of Trust: Extending forgiveness to a perpetrator is often conflated with restoration of trust or vulnerability. We, as humans, resist forgiving because we fear it opens us up to repeated exploitation or harm (“seventy-seven times” sounds like an invitation to be a doormat if misunderstood).
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Dehumanization: When someone harms us, our natural psychological response is to reduce them to their worst act. Seeing a perpetrator as a fellow human capable of weakness—or as someone who also needs mercy—requires a radical shift in perspective that defies human instinct.
3. The Survivor: Pain, Ego, and the Illusion of Justice
The final and perhaps most profound difficulty rests within the survivor (the victim):
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The Emotional Toll: Pain, trauma, and anger are real, visceral human responses. Asking a survivor to forgive can feel like demanding that they deny their own emotional reality or invalidate the suffering they endured.
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Confusing Forgiveness with Justice: As humans, we struggle with forgiveness because we often confuse it with excusing, condoning, or forgetting the act. True forgiveness does not erase the wrong, but the human ego often feels that releasing resentment amounts to letting the wrongdoer “get away with it.” I do not know how many times I have felt like this, and I know that I am not alone in this boat.
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Pride and the Resistance to Divine Mercy: Our Lord and Saviour’s parable in Matthew 18:21–35 highlights that human difficulty with forgiveness stems from a fundamental lack of awareness of our own need for mercy. The servant forgot his own debt. For survivors, recognizing our shared human brokenness requires profound humility, whereas holding onto grudges gives a temporary, albeit false, sense of moral superiority and control.
Conclusion
Forgiveness is difficult for humanity because it requires:
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Absorbing the Offence: Voluntarily bearing the cost of the damage rather than exacting revenge.
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Releasing the Perpetrator: Letting go of the desire to punish, even when the perpetrator may not “deserve” it.
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Transforming the Survivor: Overcoming pride, pain, and the desire for self-protection in order to extend the same mercy we hope to receive.
Friends in Christ, from the perspective of Matthew 18, human forgiveness is not merely an act of willpower; it is only made possible when we, as individuals, realize the immense mercy we ourselves have been shown, allowing that grace to flow outward to others. May we be encouraged by the words of our Lord and Saviour on this difficult issue this week.
Rev. Monte
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Samaratins Purse Operation Christmas Child Shoe Boxes
Boxes need to be returned Sunday, November 8!
Sharon Grove: 604-351-3359
Shoeboxes will be blessed during the 10am Service on November 8.
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2027 Canadian Church Calendars
are for sale by the ACW at a cost of $10/each.
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Monthly Luncheon
Monday, November 9 at 12:00 noon.
St. Cuthbert Hall.
Cost $6.00/person.
Contact Jan Wilmot - 604-584-0710.
All Are Welcome!!
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White Gift Box
Sunday, November 15 & 29.
White gift box will be passed around after the offertory.
Monies collected will go towards supporting our
Christmas Hamper Outreach ministry.
If you wish to register for a hamper or know of someone in
need of a hamper please contact Beth: 604-594-8822
in the church office or email bfortin@stcuthbert.ca.
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In The News
Submission of articles for the next issue of
St. Cuthbert parish newsletter, the Communicator is
Sunday November 15 at 12:00 noon. To be in your email boxes before November 29. Barb Steele: barbaste@telus.net
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ACW Poinsettia Fundraiser
Order forms available in the Narthex.
Order online with your VISA at stcuthbertanglica.growingsmilesfundraising.com
Or return your paper form before November 19.
Delivery Date is Saturday, December 5.
Kelly Bowman: 604-441-7450
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Ladies Breakfast hosted by St. Cuthbert ACW
Saturday, November 21 at 8:30 am.
Cost: $10.00 person includes breakfast & craft.
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Men's Breakfast
Saturday, November 28 at 8:30 am
Please RSVP to Philip Kenny at philipaskenny@hotmail.com
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St. Cuthbert Anglican Church Women
Christmas Potluck
Monday, December 7 at 6:00 pm
All Ladies Welcome!!
10775 Delsom Crescent
Bring a dish to share and a gift of $10.00 or a regift.
Cory McCaig: 604-594-9736
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Children's Ministries Focus
For more information, contact: obiea@stcuthbert.ca
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Working With Neurodivergent Children
There will be a training on working with neurodivergent children on the 14th of November by Val Kelly from St. Alban's Burnaby Day Care which deals with neurodivergent children. Sunday School Volunteers and all interested please, diarize to attend.
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Christmas Pageant 2026 – Get Involved!
Preparations for our 2026 Christmas Pageant, “Joy to the World,” are officially getting underway!
The pageant will take place during our 10:00 a.m. service on Sunday, December 13, 2026, and rehearsals will begin on Sunday, October 11 during the Sunday School, continuing through Saturday, December 12.
This year, we would also love to have parishioners and volunteers involved behind the scenes. If you are willing and able to help, we are particularly looking for support with:
- Narration
- Costume coordination
- Pageant coordination
- Props and logistics
- General support throughout the preparation and rehearsals
If you have a gift for organizing, storytelling, working with children, costumes, or simply have a heart to serve, we would love to have you be part of bringing this celebration to life!
If you are interested in volunteering, please reach out to the Children’s Ministry Team as soon as possible.
We look forward to preparing together for a joyful celebration of the birth of Christ!
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Sunday School and Nursery
At St. Cuthbert Anglican Church, we are passionate about nurturing children and youth in faith and creating a welcoming environment where families can grow spiritually together.
- Sunday School registration remains open! Families who have not yet registered are warmly encouraged to complete a registration form and join us. We would be delighted to welcome your children into our Sunday School community.
- A functioning nursery is available during services, providing parents with a safe, caring, and supportive space for younger children while families participate in worship.
Our desire is to continue building a strong, vibrant, and Christ-centred children’s ministry where every child feels welcomed, supported, encouraged, and connected to the life of the Church.
As we settle into the 26/27 Church School year, we are seeking a few additional Alternative Sunday School Teachers to step in occasionally when regular teachers are unavailable, helping to support our team and prevent burnout. No teaching experience is necessary - just a heart for children and a willingness to serve.
Thank you to all our parents, guardians, teachers, volunteers, and parish members for partnering with us in this ministry. We look forward to welcoming more families as we continue this year together.
Sunday School registration remains open, and we would be happy to have you join us! More information about Sunday School registration forms, volunteer opportunities, and the year ahead will be shared in church.
If you are interested in supporting our teachers and helping our children grow in faith, please contact the Director of Children's Formation. Thank you for helping us build a strong, supportive, and faith-filled Children's Ministry community!
Obie,
Director Children Formation
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Light The Night
We're excited to announce that St. Cuthbert will be hosting the upcoming DYM (Diocese Youth Movement) event on Saturday, November 21st from 4:00-8:00pm.
Register by following this link
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Youth Led Service
Sunday, November 29 at 10:00 am
Every 5th Sunday, the youth volunteer to lead the service.
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Find our photos and news on our Instagram: @stcuthbertyouth
For more information reach out: Youthleader@stcuthbert.ca
— Rainoa Lonogan
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Thursday Communion Service
November 5 at 10:00 am
Feria
Readings: Philippians 3:3-8a; Psalm 105:1-7; Luke 15:1-10
Please plan to park in the 116th Street Parking Lot as the Roadworks have already started, creating expected inconvenience delays.
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St Cuthbert Property Development Committee Update SCPDC – November 1,2026
The Property Development Committee has been working to fulfill its mandate covered under the Resolution from Vestry 2026 and provides the following update:
January 2026 – Purpose Driven applied for a $55,000 grant from VanCity to undertake the full Feasibility Study.
March 2026 – Vancity approved an Organizational Grant in the amount of $30,000. This meant that only the first part of the Feasibility Study could be completed with the funds available. The decision at the time was to complete the first part of the study and be able to show Vancity the progress with the hope of securing the remaining funding.
May 2026 – Part 1 of the Feasibilty Study completed with Purpose Driven.
July 2026 – Correspondence received from Purpose Driven confirming that funding for the second part of the Feasibility Study was a unavailable as the financial situation had changed.
October 2026 – Property Development Committee met to plan next steps regarding funding for the second half of the Feasibility Study and are looking at three potential funding options:
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Option 1: (Recommended) Capital campaign or targeted fundraising from individuals/congregation. The funding method could be a grant, a donation, a loan, or a combination of these methods.
- Option 2: Table the project for 2 years pending market changes.
- Option 3: Sell one or two properties, (Rectory and/or Rental Property), demolish the office/hall, and build a modern hall, daycare, and kitchen (dropping the housing component).
The committee recognizes that our original mandate was to avoid burdening the church with debt as part of the Feasibility Study. However, given that further grant funding for 2026 is unavailable, alternate funding sources are required. Feasibility Study completion is critical before pursuing next project steps. Thus the committee is exploring alternate funding options and a Special Vestry meeting is required to vote on the following question:
Do you support the motion to empower the St. Cuthbert Trustees to source up to $30,000 to complete the Purpose Driven Feasibility Study without restricting the funding method? The funding method could be a grant, a donation, a loan, or a combination of these methods.
The date of the Special Vestry meeting is to be determined, understanding that two weeks notice is required. In addition, a Town Hall Meeting has been scheduled for 7:00pm Monday November 23,2026 to provide the Property Development update for 2026 and address any questions.
On behalf of the Property Development Committee
Respectfully
Philip Espezel,
Chair
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October
Stewardship Pledge Drive
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Thanks to the early birds who returned their pledge forms, we are
49.07%
towards our 2027 Goal.
Pledge Sunday, took place on the 25th of October, and we are still accepting the 2027 pledges. Please bring them in and mark them to the attention of "The Envelope Secretary." If you did not receive a Pledge Letter, which contains the Pledge Form, there are extra letters in the Letter Cubicles in the Narthex. Alternatively, e-mail info@stcuthbert with your new address.
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...........Bereavement & Resilience Group meets twice a month, on the second and fourth Tuesdays. This ministry is still downloading. We have not yet set the start date. We will let you know as soon as we have set the date. | | CYBERSECURITY AWARENESS FOCUS | |
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Our Mission Statement
“To seek and encourage growth as a Christ–Centred community, empowered by the Holy Spirit, to know God and to make God known
in word and deed.”
| | Community ~ Connection ~ Communication ~ Continuity ~ Compassion | | | | |
