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Gospel of Luke 17:1-6
Be on your guard! If your brother
sins, rebuke him; and if he repents,
forgive him.
And if he wrongs
you seven times in one day
and returns to you
seven times saying, ‘I am sorry', you should forgive
him.”
On Netflix, I've been watching old episodes of "Forensic Files." It amazes me how medical examiners and forensic specialists find clues to a person's killer from unusual sources. In one episode, forensic scientists identified the murderer 20 years after the incident thanks to new advances in DNA technology. With the right amount of evidence, many crimes considered "cold cases" can be solved today.
Jesus calls us to forgive those who have wronged us-- seven time seventy-seven. I term this infinite forgiveness. We may not mind forgiving a friend or family member who's a little absent minded or jerky on occasion. We understand them and love them despite their irritation. However, when it comes to people we don't like, forgiveness doesn't come so easily.....
How can we forgive someone who has killed a family member in cold blood? How can we forgive someone who took away a friend's life? This is when forgiveness becomes extremely difficult, if not impossible. I've heard of families forgiving a perpetrator who killed a child, and victims forgiving their abusers. All of this takes a whole lot of courage and trust in the Lord. It takes a willingness to let go of the pain, the anger, and the temptation for revenge. I'm always amazed when I hear of a family forgiving someone for committing a crime against their loved one. I just don't know if I could do the same thing!
With the Advent Season drawing near, we should examine our inner selves. Do we need to make amends with someone? Do we need to forgive a person? Do we need to let go of years of resentment and anger? Peace wraps itself around a forgiving heart! We feel closer to Christ when we learn to forgive, let go, and move on in a positive direction.
Saint Leo the Great, Pray for Us!
-J.
Jesus calls us to forgive those who have wronged us-- seven time seventy-seven. I term this infinite forgiveness. We may not mind forgiving a friend or family member who's a little absent minded or jerky on occasion. We understand them and love them despite their irritation. However, when it comes to people we don't like, forgiveness doesn't come so easily.....
How can we forgive someone who has killed a family member in cold blood? How can we forgive someone who took away a friend's life? This is when forgiveness becomes extremely difficult, if not impossible. I've heard of families forgiving a perpetrator who killed a child, and victims forgiving their abusers. All of this takes a whole lot of courage and trust in the Lord. It takes a willingness to let go of the pain, the anger, and the temptation for revenge. I'm always amazed when I hear of a family forgiving someone for committing a crime against their loved one. I just don't know if I could do the same thing!
With the Advent Season drawing near, we should examine our inner selves. Do we need to make amends with someone? Do we need to forgive a person? Do we need to let go of years of resentment and anger? Peace wraps itself around a forgiving heart! We feel closer to Christ when we learn to forgive, let go, and move on in a positive direction.
“We must develop and
maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is
devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some
evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our
enemies.” -Martin Luther King, Jr.
Saint Leo the Great, Pray for Us!
-J.
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