By Andrea Bear
“Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.” ~ Matthew 18:21-22
Peter asks Jesus how often we should forgive our neighbor, and Jesus responds not seven times but seventy-seven times. But the act of forgiveness can seem challenging, especially when we feel our trespasser isn’t worthy of forgiveness or the anger is justified.
Yet Jesus also reminds us in the Lord’s prayer that “as” we forgive those NOT “should” we forgive those who trespass against us, meaning it is not an option. If we want to be forgiven, we must also forgive. Jesus committed no sin, but he paid the price of our sin and forgave us through the crucifixion. Jesus would die seventy-seven more times if it meant saving our souls. So we, too, should forgive unlimited times.
Forgiveness does not mean one has to feel right about the action, and it doesn’t mean we have to come to terms or agree with the sin. But forgiveness calls us to love. We do not want harm to come to the other, and we want better for them than ourselves. We must be merciful.
And who better models this forgiveness than His mother? Today is the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. Mary’s heart is pierced with all her son’s sufferings, and she models for us how to forgive, endure, and love her son fully. Let us remember to lean on Jesus through Mary to help us when times are difficult, and forgiveness seems hard.
Prayer
Oh, Lady of Sorrows, help me to love your Son just as you do. Help me to forgive my neighbor just as Jesus forgives me. Amen.
Call to Action
Let us remember to lean on Jesus through Mary to help us when times are difficult, and forgiveness seems hard.
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Wonderful points about forgiveness! It doesn’t say “ what you did was right”, but it does say”I am not going to let your action weigh me down”
I found this post to be very informative and well-organized. Your detailed analysis and clear explanations make it a pleasure to read. The practical examples you included were particularly helpful. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us.