Forgiving someone who has hurt us deeply is a great challenge

Good morning, happy Monday, and many blessings.

Today’s message in Luke 6:36-38 from Jesus is not an easy message to receive. Jesus is telling his disciples (and us) to be merciful. Jesus instructs us to be merciful as His Father is merciful. What a challenge this may be. The call to be merciful is not an easy or desired call!

I assume we all are merciful in our own way. Perhaps we do good works. We may volunteer at Holyrood Food Fest, or simply help out a neighbor who is in need. Or we may donate to our church, work with the cleanings or disinfecting. There are many and varied ways that we can contribute to making the world a better place.

However, part of Jesus’ message today is a very personal one for us and yet it may be a difficult message to hear. Jesus also instructs us to be merciful. Yes, part of being merciful may be doing good works. However, Jesus primarily challenges us and instructs us to stop judging, criticizing and condemning others. And we are to forgive the individuals who have hurt us! Ouch!

It may be fairly easy for us to give of our time, treasure and talent. However, to forgive someone who has hurt us deeply is a huge challenge. We simply may not want to forgive. We even might want the other person to suffer for what they did to us. Yet, if we truly wish to follow Jesus, we must forgive. There is no other option. Most likely, we will never forget, as the memory is stored in our minds and hearts. However, we do have a choice. We can choose to be merciful and forgive the other person---and in the process, we also may free ourselves!

Can you remember someone who has forgiven you for something that you did to hurt them? What a wondrous gift they gave you. The gift of forgiveness frees both parties. When the person who is hurt forgives the other, they can move forward in their lives freely. They no longer will be tethered to the hurt and anger they had been carrying. And the individual who is forgiven also is freed and graced!

Today I invite you, so we both can meditate in prayer in this exercise of reflection questions: Looking back over the past 24 hours, can I see where I may have judged somebody? Where, over the same period of time, have I given less of myself that I could have – whether at home or at work? Looking forward to the next 24 hours, how might I do things better? Can you recall times in your life when you were able to be merciful to others? What is it like to show mercy to someone and not to be merciful to someone? Recall times in your life when you experienced Gods merciful love. Can you talk to Jesus now about trying to be merciful to others?

Blessings,

Fr. Luis+