Forgiveness
The message given to Saint Faustina calls for us to trust in God in all situations, ask for His mercy, and be merciful to others. As God forgives our sins, we are to forgive others of transgressions. "Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses" (Mk 11:25).
Forgiveness is at the heart of the message of Divine Mercy. We pray with confidence to God the Father, asking for His forgiveness and mercy, as we realize our sinfulness. And we pray, "And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors" (Mt 6:12). This outpouring of God's mercy cannot be received as long as we have not forgiven those who have offended us. How can we love the God we cannot see, if we do not love the brother or sister we can see? If we lack forgiveness, we close our hearts to God's mercy. In refusing to forgive our brothers and sisters, our hearts are closed and their hardness makes them impervious to the Father's merciful love; but in confessing our sins, our hearts are opened to his grace (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, #2840).
Forgiveness is so difficult after someone has hurt us! Yet, "For mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible" (Mt 19:26). The pain we carry can be as severe and as deep as a wound festering with infection for years. How could one forgive another who has murdered one's family, stolen property, or treated others as animals? Yet, even if the aggressor is not sorry, the one injured who harbors anger is the one bound in chains. It is only by letting go of the anger and asking God for the grace of forgiveness that the chains are broken, and we are set free.
God Our Father, as in the story of the prodigal son (Lk 15:11¬32), is looking and waiting for us, accepting our pleas of repentance and sorrow. We are to be merciful to others as He is merciful to us. Jesus told St. Faustina on one occasion during Eucharistic adoration, These rays of mercy will pass through you, just as they have passed through this Host, and they will go out through all the world (Diary, 441). She wrote on June 20, 1937, "We resemble God most when we forgive our neighbors" (Diary, 1148). Forgiveness means more than avoiding interaction with those who have hurt us. Scripture is clear that as our Heavenly Father loves us, we are to love others. "You shall not take vengeance or bear any grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord" (1,cv 19:18). We should have the attitude of Christ, who while suffering on the cross for us, said, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing" (Lk 23:34).
Forgiveness is easier if we can avoid being judgmental. We should not be like the Pharisees, who saw all the serious faults in others but not in themselves. If we could only be as exacting on ourselves as we are on others! Aren't we all so quick to criticize, condemn and judge? how easily we overlook our own faults by justifying and rationalizing our conduct and defects. "Why do you see the speck in your neighbor's eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? (Mt 7:3).
Many carry anger and guilt for years, only to see unresolved issues manifested as aberrant behavior in the form of negativism, outbursts of violence, and addictive behaviors. Many turn to alcohol, drugs, or the pleasures of the flesh for relief of pain. Yet only Jesus can bring everlasting peace. If we are to he icons of mercy, we must be as serene as a calm lake, reflecting His rays of love and mercy. Forgiveness of those who have hurt us will help calm our troubled waters.
Think of how many times we as Christians recite the Lord's Prayer! We say over and over, "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us," and yet we struggle with forgiving others. In actuality, many carry anger and hatred for years, never resolving the situation internally. We seldom forgive and rarely forget, and yet we pray for God to forgive us as we forgive others.
Reflect on the passage: "Me vengeful will face the Lord's vengeance, for he keeps a strict account of their sins. Forgive your neighbor the wrong he had done, and then your sins will be pardoned when you pray. Does anyone harbor anger against another, and expect healing from the Lord? If one has no mercy toward another like himself, can he then seek pardon for his own sins?" (Sir 28:1-4).
O Lord, give us the grace to forgive so we can have peace in our hearts. Free us from the shackles that bind us, and help us become people who radiate Your mercy to others.