Dear Friends,
One of life’s hard but necessary lessons is to learn to be
people in whom forgiveness resides...to be able to forgive others for what they
have done to us…to ask forgiveness of those whom we have injured… and to
forgive ourselves for what we have done to others. If we don’t forgive, then we
will die inside.
Forgiveness is a relational process. It involves God and us
in personal and sacramental ways. We don’t go immediately from whatever generated
the need for forgiveness to making forgiveness actual in our life. Maybe we
need to walk away from the event, leave it alone for a while. Take a break. We
also need to develop a certain patience and refuse to let the thought of whatever
it was stay in the forefront of our mind. Other bigger, growthful thoughts
can’t occupy our minds if we are so preoccupied with the memory of whatever it
was. Only with time (different for each of us), can we decide what we need to
do so that the memory of whatever it was does not swallow us up. Lay it to
rest. We know that forgiveness is real when it no longer hounds us and we are
free to go on.
Jesus taught us the full measure of forgiveness, by his
words to his followers to “forgive 70 times 7 time”(that is to say endlessly - Mt 18.22). He told us “if you do not
forgive, neither will you Father in heaven forgive you (Mark 11.26) His
greatest lesson in forgiveness was the way He died on the cross.” Father,
forgive!” He cried out in Luke, his words washing over Jerusalem with love Luke
23.34).
It is So
Hard to Love…
To unlock
the heart
To release the
bottled pain….
So hard to
stop running
To embrace
the one hated
To love and
forgive.
So hard…
To unclench
the fist
To surrender
to God.
-Joseph
Varga
Jesus is the
Lord of Second Chances. When we feel dead inside and wonder if we can ever be
resurrected, Jesus, the Holy One, is there offering forgiving love and bidding
us to do in like manner.
God’s
forgiveness of us and our forgiveness of others are inextricably linked. Once
we recognize and own that we are forgiven by God, then we are free to treat
each other as though we are forgiven. In our world that is so full of dissing,
hatred and violence, forgiveness of others and ourselves opens doors and
windows. Goodbye, road rage. Goodbye, revenge. The world feels different,
tastes different, is different.
-Sister Joan Sobala
