There are many things people do that hurt us, and things we do that wound others. Some are perhaps more obvious than others, and some are clearly worse. There are two things that I think it is important to remember:
1. There are no good sins.
2. Whatever wrong we do, even if it hurts no one else, even if it doesn’t seem to hurt us, we always hurt God. And, if we have been hurt, so has God.
Signs of Forgiveness
But, we also have to remember that sin, hate, and hurt do not have the last word. There is a bigger word that comes from love: forgiveness.
Forgiveness can take a long time, but the first step is a choice. It is a choice to forgive. That doesn’t mean it will automatically happen; it can take a long time, and we may think we have forgiven someone or something, only to discover another layer of hurt, more consequences, and the only way to keep going is to keep forgiving.
Forgiveness enables us to move on. It makes us free. Firstly, because it frees us from our own anger and hate. It gets us past hurt and self-pity. And secondly, because in freely choosing to forgive, we make good use of our freedom. In this way, we exercise our freedom, and just like anything else, the more we practice, the better we get. We become freer.
Finally, if (and when) we find it hard to forgive it is important to remember that God constantly forgives us and chooses to do so even though he knows that he will have to keep doing it over and over again. This is especially important when we are struggling to forgive ourselves.
A beautiful personal testimony on forgiveness from Margaret Mizen, whose 16-year-old son was murdered in 2008, will perhaps convince you more of the truth of this than anything I can say:
Questions For Discussion On Forgiveness
– If I wait until someone apologizes before I forgive them, what will this mean for me? For them? For my relationships with others?
– Jesus told us to forgive not just seven times but seventy times seven (Mt 18:21-22): are you keeping count?
– Is it harder to forgive ourselves or other people?
– Does forgiving just mean forgetting?
What Good Will It Be For Me To Be Seen Like This?
Facebook Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn Print Friendly What Good Will It Be For Me To Be Seen Like This? Subscribe To Our Weekly Newsletter!Our weekly email newsletter includes links to our seasonal content so you can stay connected to the Church’s liturgical seasons and find simple ways to celebrate them and grow in holiness. SUBSCRIBE! […]
How Sin Works | Catholic Inspiration
Facebook Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn Print Friendly The Mechanism of Sin 1. Suggestion. The snake suggests an idea to Eve. 2. Conversation. You cannot dialogue with temptation. 3. The struggle and consent. Evil is committed. 4. The passion that kidnaps our liberty. 5. Communication of sin. 6. Shame and guilt to sin. Read more at: 6 Steps […]
What If You Try These Every Day? Give And Give Up
Facebook Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn Print Friendly What If You Try These Every Day? Give And Give Up More Catholic Resources Subscribe To Our Weekly Newsletter!Our weekly email newsletter includes links to our seasonal content so you can stay connected to the Church’s liturgical seasons and find simple ways to celebrate them and grow […]
There Is No Pit So Deep That God’s Love Is Not Deeper Still
Facebook Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn Print Friendly This post is not an article, but a part of our gallery of images. You can share this image in your social media or you can click the “Download” button and send it to your friends. We only ask you to share it in its original version, without […]
Anger: When Is It A Sin?
Facebook Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn Print Friendly Our first reading today comes from Sirach 27:30–28:7. Sirach is one of the deuterocanonical books, which are not included in Protestant Bibles due to historical reasons. However, these books were well known in Jesus’ time and were part of the broader scriptural tradition. Sirach is essentially a manual on […]
Infographic: Steps That Lead To Sin
Facebook Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn Print Friendly This post is not an article, but a part of our gallery of images. You can share this image in your social media or you can click the “Download” button and send it to your friends. We only ask you to share it in its original version, without editing […]
To Love And Forgive As God Does | Pope Francis Quote
Facebook Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn Print Friendly To love and forgive as God does Everyone experiences the dark night of the sinner”, but Jesus “has an embrace” for us all. the night envelops Judas, it also envelops his heart. It is the worst kind of night, the “night of the corrupt”, a “definitive night, when the […]
Heaven is Filled with Converted Sinners | St. John Cafasso
Facebook Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn Print Friendly Subscribe To Our Weekly Newsletter!Our weekly email newsletter includes links to our seasonal content so you can stay connected to the Church’s liturgical seasons and find simple ways to celebrate them and grow in holiness. SUBSCRIBE! Thank you for subscribing!
7 Deadly Sins: The One Prayer Everyone Struggling With Pride Needs To Say Daily
Facebook Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn Print Friendly “It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels”. — St. Augustine My first memories of mature confessions, not centered around fights with my sisters and forgetting my bedtime prayers, are not very interesting. I was a well-behaved teenager with good grades, […]
Why Mortal Sins Require Confession according to St. Augustine
Facebook Pinterest Gmail LinkedIn Print Friendly In three ways then are sins remitted in the Church; by baptism, by prayer, by the greater humility of penance. – St. Augustine Subscribe To Our Weekly Newsletter!Our weekly email newsletter includes links to our seasonal content so you can stay connected to the Church’s liturgical seasons and find […]
