Forgive and Be Free

“Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” 

--Matthew 6:12

You: “I’m sorry for hurting you.”

Me: “That’s OK.” 

That’s how it usually goes, right?

Wouldn’t a better response be, “I forgive you”? Saying “That’s OK” doesn’t acknowledge your own pain or your need for forgiveness. By saying “I forgive you” I accept your apology and assure you that I’m willing to put the matter behind us.

Every time we pray the “Our Father” we ask our Lord to forgive us as we forgive others. When we sin – when we do something hurtful to ourselves or someone else – and tell God, “I’m sorry,” He doesn’t say, “That’s OK.” He says, “I forgive you.” We’re to do the same for others. 

Forgiveness is an act of the will, not a feeling. (It’s different from reconciliation, which involves both parties.) We choose to forgive someone even if we don’t feel forgiving. We acknowledge the hurt they caused us and decide not to let what was done in the past taint our present. When we forgive, we set ourselves free; we don’t give the offender power over us. Instead, we allow the power of God to release us from our ruminating and the need for revenge. We ask God for the grace to look into the other’s heart and see the goodness there. 

What if the offender doesn’t ask us for forgiveness? We can still choose to forgive them, in our hearts. 

Forgiveness doesn’t mean giving someone permission to hurt us again. We need to protect ourselves, especially in severe cases.That might mean having an honest conversation with the other person, seeking counseling, or getting out of an abusive relationship. We may have to distance ourselves from someone, or avoid situations that make us vulnerable. 

We recall that when people, including us, hurt others, we’re sometimes acting out of our own hurt. So we forgive, and ask for forgiveness. We ask God to heal our hearts and replace our pain with His peace. 

With His grace, we’re free to treat others and ourselves with love, mercy, and kindness. 

God is waiting to set you free – from bitterness, pain, and the weight of your own sins. Today, Wednesday, March 8, all Catholic churches in the Diocese of Cleveland will be open for the Sacrament of Reconciliation from 5-8 p.m. Remember that Christ is there, hidden by the priest. Whether it’s been a week or a lifetime since your last Confession, you’re invited to ‘begin again’ at any church in the diocese. Let Jesus pour His loving grace and mercy upon you through this wonderful sacrament of freedom, peace, and reconciliation with God.

“Lord, give me the grace and courage to seek Your forgiveness and forgive

others as You forgive me.”

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2023 Gina Bedell     Comments are always welcome! 

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The Freedom of Forgiveness

 

Corrie ten Boom did the unimaginable after surviving a Nazi concentration camp. In her uplifting and powerful autobiography The Hiding Place: The Triumphant True Story of Corrie ten Boom, she tells of the moment years after her release when she came face to face with the Nazi guard who had brutalized her and countless others. She had just given a talk on the need for forgiveness -- one of many speeches she gave across the world -- when the former guard approached her, asked if she would forgive him, and offered her his outstretched hand. Slowly and mechanically she lifted her hand and, as he grasped it, she felt a kind of electric current run down her arm to their clasped hands; a freeing feeling of deep peace flowed through her and toward this man.

Notice that it was only after Corrie grasped his hand did the feeling come to her. That’s because forgiveness is an act of the will, not a feeling. Forgiving is deciding to not hold onto the wrongdoing any longer. (Reconciliation requires both parties; forgiveness involves only you.)

Consider:

‘The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.’ –Luke 6:38

and

“…Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us...”

--Matthew 6:12

Who do you need to forgive? A parent? Your spouse? A teacher or friend? Yourself? We might not feel forgiving, but we can decide to forgive them. We might not feel anything dramatic like Corrie did; still, we can set ourselves free from the transgression. We can let it go. We can say out loud, “Lord, I forgive _____ for _____. “  

‘Be merciful as your Father in heaven is merciful.’ –Luke 6:36

God lives in us; we have His power in us to forgive.  And as we forgive others, so does God forgive us. We’re freed from others’ wrongdoings, we’re freed from our own sins, and we’re empowered to forgive others again in a loving cycle of forgiveness, freedom, and peace.

“God’s forgiveness is a sign of His overflowing love for each of us… it is the tenderness with which each sinner is welcomed when he knocks at His door… His heart rejoices over every child who returns…” – Pope Francis

God wants to forgive you!

Today, Wednesday, March 16, all Catholic churches in the Diocese of Cleveland will be open for the Sacrament of Reconciliation from 5-8 p.m.  Remember that Christ is there, hidden by the priest. Whether it’s been a week or a lifetime since your last Confession, you’re invited to ‘begin again’ at any church in the diocese. If not today, then sometime during Lent, let Jesus pour His loving grace and mercy upon you through this wonderful sacrament of freedom, peace, and reconciliation with God. 

“Lord, give me the grace and courage to seek Your forgiveness and forgive others.”

Thank you for reading my reflection. Comments are always welcome! Feel free to share it with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Thanks!

 p.s.

The Cleveland Maidan Association is one of many trusted organizations sending help to Ukraine. If you’d like to donate to them using either PayPal OR a credit/debit card, use this link:

https://www.paypal.com/donate/...