Forgiveness
This is a very difficult exercise – to forgive those who have hurt us! Yet our serenity and our spiritual survival are at stake! It is impossible to go through life without one day being deeply hurt, upset, even bruised, by a parent, a friend, a loved one. It is not uncommon for painful frictions, hurtful procedures, regrettable misunderstandings from which bitter feelings are born which cool charity, diminish mutual esteem, break relationships…
Love, friendship are flouted and can even be transformed to hatred. Yesterday’s friend becomes the enemy. How to recite the Our Father and dare to say “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who have offended us” if in fact, in reality, we vow hatred or resentment towards someone?
We ourselves, don’t we have a thousand reasons to ask God the Father to forgive us for all our mistakes? How many times per day, do we offend our Lord? And what would become of us if He were without pity towards us as we sometimes are towards those who have pained us? Our wrongs against Heaven are infinite, and at the slightest sign of our repentance, God will forgives, He covers them with indulgence and forgets them. We must do the same because God will remember all the forgiveness we will have granted, especially those which will have cost the most.
It is a beautiful victory to be won over yourself! Forgive the one who has deeply offended honor and console the Heart of Jesus, that is all the vocation of the Guard of Honor is to be merciful like the Heart of Jesus is merciful. “Forgive and you will be forgiven” (Luke 6:37)
(According to Sr. Marie of the Sacred Heart Bernaud, book Holy Year of the Guards of Honor)