“We resemble God most when we forgive our neighbors.” St. Faustina — Diary, 1148
The only tough part about being a saint is being like God. It is a daily endeavor that we get to share with God. God does not hold himself up and then tell us, “Okay now, you be like this…” He sent his Son who lived a life like ours. Jesus spoke human words. Jesus did human actions. And Jesus forgave. In so doing, he invites us to do something divine…Forgive. When Adam and Eve had their fruit snack from the wrong tree, bringing sin into this world, God did not dismiss nor abandon them. He offered a hand. He offered himself as expiation. Jesus is the Father’s forgiveness for our wrongs.
He Knows
When Christ was on the cross, among his last words were, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing.” Words that in the present moment are directed at those that are crucifying Christ, the Romans, and the leaders of the Jews. But they are also directed at all of humanity over all of time. All of us nailed Jesus to the cross with our sins. And Jesus forgives us. Jesus forgives perfectly knowing what is in the heart and mind of those crucifying him. He knows their motives for putting him up on the cross. He knows their reasons and he knows ours. Jesus did not hold on to grudges or resentments on that cross, in forgiving, he freed himself from unsubstantiated and ephemeral securities. By forgiving, he remains free and in peace.
Add It To Your Pocket
Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. What do ordinary people carry around in their pockets and purses during the day? Usually, we have the things that we need for our daily life, like keys, a wallet, a phone, and such. We are invited to add forgiveness to our pockets and purses every morning. Just like we carry the things we carry because we do not know when we will need them, so too, we do not know when forgiveness will be needed. Forgiveness is needed at unexpected moments. Someone cuts me off in traffic, someone says something I do not like, or a memory of a past traumatic event pops into my head. Time to reach into my pocket and pull out forgiveness. Time to perform a divine act and be like Jesus by forgiving. And, time to let go and allow peace to reign.
Sometimes forgiveness takes time. It is not always a one and done. How often we ourselves go back to Christ asking for forgiveness for the same things and his mercy and grace are there. We will not always forget but we can always strive to forgive and do something divine with God’s grace.
