FORGIVENESS: A TWO-WAY STREET

The Discipleship Small Group gatherings that our parishes have been sponsoring this Lenten season have been very interesting. We have been viewing the series, "The Search". Even if you did not join a small group, you can access this series on formed.org. I highly recommend that you do.

At the end of each small group session there is an “Action Item" that encourages us to put what we have learned and discussed into practice that week. The “Action Item" recently was to go and ask someone who you have hurt for their forgiveness. Ouch! That is a hard one to say the least. But it occurred to me as people were talking, that it certainly takes two to complete this act of forgiveness.

Asking for someone's forgiveness is tough and requires courage. How many times have we knowingly hurt someone and we refuse to apologize and ask for their forgiveness? We often justify what we did by thinking, “What I said to them wasn't that bad. It was the truth, or it will blow over in time." I believe this is especially true when it comes to people we love, family. We find it easier to apologize to strangers than people we truly care about. Sometimes we even think that we can just stay out of someone's way or do something nice instead of apologizing. The truth is that nothing can replace the words coming from our mouths: I'm sorry, please forgive me. Let's face it, apologizing and asking for forgiveness requires humility.

The other side of the street is to forgive those that have wronged us. Today's society thrives on drama. People want to get offended over what someone said and we take things out of context. We have to remember that people don't always express themselves the way that they want to, they make mistakes. Sometimes we are hurt by someone's carelessness, but there are times we are intentionally wronged and hurt. In either instance, we must put aside our personal ideas of justice and aim for what is truly good. Let's face it, accepting an apology and forgiving requires humility.

To forgive is not just between you and the other person it needs to include the Lord. So many times, we say we forgive but we still hold that piece of a grudge inside our hearts, or we refuse to be seen with them, we forget to love them again. Just as the Lord loves us even though we continually wrong Him.

In these remaining days of Lent, there is still time to ask the Lord for forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It does require courage and humility to go to Confession, but Jesus is waiting to hear your words of apology so that you can hear his words of forgiveness.

In this final week before Easter, find the humility to pray for those who have hurt you. Find the humility to reach out to those you have hurt and ask for forgiveness. Find the humility to go talk to the Lord in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and admit your wrongs and receive the grace of His forgiveness.

Viva Cristo Rey,
Deacon Gary