Love! Forgive!
We love being loved. We love being surrounded by care, concern, and encouragement. We love knowing that people will be beside us through the fine days of life, as well as when the storms of life’s journey come to pass. And yes, a deep part of love’s expression is forgiveness. We truly know we are loved when we hear another say to us, following sin and transgression, “I forgive you… you are forgiven… I love you.” The emotions which flow are not easily find expression in words. The love experienced in forgiveness is literally divine!
This weekend we are reminded that love and forgiveness, which at times may be difficult to give and to receive, are not only for those we are intimate with, or close to in family or friendship. In a blunt manner Jesus speaks to us directly. “Love your enemies.” “Do good and lend, expecting nothing in return.” “Be merciful just as your Father is merciful.” Love and forgive all people, even your enemies.
What does this look like? How can this be? A danger for such strong emphasis by the Lord is that we can hear or read his words, and we can give our intellectual assent, however in daily practice there is no actual reality to our love or mercy beyond our own circle.
People often have a favourite image of Jesus, of Mary, of Joseph, the Holy Family, or of a saint to whom they ask intercession. How many of us keep an image of someone we have difficulty with? As a child I remember seeing a photo of my uncle at his wedding, and the image of my aunt had been cut out by my grandmother as her son in subsequent years had left by his wife. The act of taking up the scissors expressed the pain of the time, but gave no possibility of healing, no possibility of forgiveness.
How would it be to have an image of someone we find hard to love, hard to forgive, and during a time of
prayer to take up the image and to pray for the grace to come from the Lord? Maybe it will require more than one ‘hour of prayer’ to come to true forgiveness. Yet, love and forgiveness is what is required of us who follow the Lord, yes, even of our enemies.
With prayers, patrick
