I led the second forgiveness class today. One of the participants lost a spouse to a driver on drugs and wonders now how to forgive. How indeed. In the afternoon I started work on Sunday’s sermon, using Mark 10:46-52. I came across this today in Sirach: “Humility deserves honor and respect, but a low opinion of yourself leads to sin. Do not let others have their way at your expense; do not bring on your own ruin by giving up your rights. Never hesitate to speak out when the occasion calls for it. Don’t hide your wisdom.” (4:21-23) I tend to hide my wisdom, but I have none for the one who struggles to forgive a terrible sin. Pray for the grace to forgive.
To err is human, to forgive devine.
In proportion to the size and depth of the insult that brings suffering and offence to another, an outpouring of God’s grace is necessary to enable the sufferer to let go and move on.
Without this grace, people can be stuck in anger, grief and bittermess for a very long time. Prayer, prayer and more prayer. And a willingness to be freed.
Forgiveness heals the forgiver.
Not easy.
Very true, LC.
..I heard the most powerfully moving story of forgiveness Sunday at an AA meeting.The person stated that it was totally unplanned and unexpected and therefor an action of Divine Grace..She said her heart was instantaneously miraculously changed the moment that she saw the decrepit state the other person had become..so i took from this,that when God bestows the Grace of true forgiveness, some measure of empathy is the catalyst..