TO LOVE IS TO FORGIVE
Everybody
finds it difficult to forgive. It is a decision, an act of the will.
Even when we have decided to forgive, the hurt remains. And because we
are hurt, we become angry. Forgiveness comes at the end of anger, not at
the beginning. In order to forgive, we need to admit the pain the other
person has caused us. We need to allow ourselves to be angry and hurt.
Anger is the power to distance ourselves from what has hurt us. But we do not need to harbor grudges for it will only kill us.
After anger, we decide to forgive and free ourselves from the other
person’s power. Forgiveness frees us from the hurts that people have
caused us. It heals our wounds.
To forgive is to set the prisoner free, and that prisoner is you.
People who never forgive are harsh to themselves. They become their own
victims of unforgiveness. They punish themselves with the mistakes of
others. In hurting themselves, they also hurt others.
Human beings cannot live together without forgiveness because our
imperfection will cause us to hurt each other again and again. But God
has also given us healing power — the capacity to forgive. When we
forgive, we create a community of love. Yes, we are a community of
wounded people, but more than that, we never stop loving. When we
forgive, we celebrate our
power. God is asking us to forgive 70 times seven times. God does not
want us to be victims of unforgiveness. For a relationship to continue,
we need to forgive.
Cardinal Tagle says, “To forgive someone is to say, ‘I hope.’ To not
forgive is to say, ‘I have lost hope in God’s capacity to renew you. I
have lost all hope in God for you.’” Forgiveness is an act of hope in
God to work wonders in the person. When we forgive, we recognize the
possibility of every person to celebrate his or her greatness because of
God’s mercy and compassion. To forgive is to celebrate our power — that is love! Fr. Alex Balatbat
REFLECTION QUESTION:
Think of the misery you cause yourself by unforgiveness. Are you ready
for peace of mind that can last a lifetime? Decide to forgive.
Loving Father, forgive our sins as we forgive those who sinned against us. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment