Being a Christian means working on yourself every day until the last moment. I wouldn't say that all the effort and prayer is in vain, although I agree with your position that the most important thing for God is our heart and how we treat others and that we follow His example. We cannot give God anything that he does not already have except us because it is our free will that he gave to us. If he has put so much effort into improving his relationship with God and is ready to make such a sacrifice, then he can certainly change his temper and anger with God's help. Some things take time, but primarily a lot of conversation and good guidance from those who are spiritually and morally on a higher level. Someone has the gift of recognizing flaws, someone is blind to such things and does only the technical part without changing his life according to what he believes in and how he prays. You don't need to force it, but if the family is already persecuting him because of his religion, then it means that he is deeply wounded on that side as well, and often when we feel pain, we return that pain to others. Sometimes a smile, a kind word, a gesture with which we show the most basic human manners mean a lot. Today, people have fallen into two extremes, those who deny that God does not exist and those who believe that He exists, but somewhere up there in the sky and they do not see him in the person next to them and in their neighbor.
Thought & prayed for you Miker at Mass on Sunday. As Christians & humans maybe we are hard on ourselves with forgiveness as well. We want to fully forgive but it doesn't take away from the evil committed. Evil was committed (it can come from a person's wounds or intentional evil) but it feels as tho ppl don't think evil exists these days... We live in a society where it feels as tho forgiveness is so flippant as well. 'Just forgive.' Yes, of course, but what about the fact there has been harm inflicted, what about God's justice, does God not want us to fight for justice? What about the fact there are psychological/physical, or both, results? God will give us the grace to supernaturally forgive, or simply just giving it all to Him. However, He also said He'd restore the years the locusts have eaten!
Just came upon this story. Remarkable to see her forgiveness. A great example. Prayers that she is no pain free and with the Lord https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/19/us/c...lter/index.html?dicbo=v2-BEDNQyZ&hptm=ob_25tp
What a beautiful story, Miker. Thank you for sharing this. I think the capacity to forgive is a sure sign of God’s dwelling in a soul. It’s not an instantaneous gift but one that is hard earned through the desire to forgive. I’m sure your children and friends see the same in you.
I’m sure we’re all on that same journey - desiring to forgive. It’s a great start. And then I think the key is to let God enter and take us the rest of the way
Exactly. Without God's timing and help, I feel it would be impossible. I think of St Maria Goretti who forgave her attacker before her death. Her mother forgave him as he came to her after prison. He became a man full of faith because of that...it astounds me..
This reminds me of Immacule(?) from Rwanda who forgave the man who killed the rest of her family if I recall correctly. She went to the prison and the warden couldn't believe she forgave him! Lord, may I have that kind of heart for forgiveness
Forgiveness is the only way but if we desire to forgive God supplies the supernatural grave necessary. In N.I. forgiveness is necessary on both sides. Hatred has been ingrained over centuries. I think prayer for this poor man and God will give him the grace eventually.
The Lord keeps putting the pathway in front of me. The Gospel for this Sunday is in my mind the blueprint God has given me to holiness. I really love this reflection. https://watch.formed.org/suggested-...587&utm_content=348377521&utm_source=hs_email
Well he is in another country now. I must remember to pray for him. One time many years ago there was a Protestant police sergeant who hated Catholics and tried his best to kill me , but he could never catch me doing anything. I cannot fault him too much for this as I would have shot him at the drop of a hat myself. Recall there was a very bitter war going on at the t ime. Anyway just after I got out of prison having met Our Lady himself and his police friends grabbed me by the throat and told m e they were going to kill me the first chance they got. I looked him in eyes and told him that I loved him. I never saw a man so frightened in my life, you'd think I shot him. They raced away in great hurry and I was never , ever bothered me a g ain. About two years later just after my brother, sister in law and their two year old child were all killed in a car accident a police car stopped beside me , the sergeant got o u t, shook my hand and told me how sorry he was. So he had learnt to forgive too.
I’ve been contemplating all week on last week’s gospel. I watched Fr. Mikes Mass and I have listened many times to his homily. I’m finding it speaking very directly to my heart and the process I’m going through to forgive the girl who hurt us so badly and took the life of my sister in law. God is teaching and gnawing at my heart. Ultimately this is not a “nice to do” but a commandment. A priest shared with me that this is a great opportunity to be a true disciple. To love one who perhaps does not deserve it. Please pray I have courage to do this.
I think forgiveness is humanly speaking impossible. we just cannot do it. It's all down to grace and is purely supernatural. It's not something we can grit our teeth and do It's just pure gift. We have to beg God for the grace to do it . I watched a wonderful video a while ago about a gunman who walked into an Amish school and murdered a lot of their children. Not only dud they forgive they actually visited the mother of the gunman and offered her help and asked her to remain in the neighbourhood. Hearing about all this is very. very touching. But it is also very, very supernatural. It is perhaps the best proof of God I know of.
Praying for your intentions about forgiveness. This girl will have to live with this memory of taking the life of your sister in law. That is a huge punishment. Not only that, look at the severe injuries she has caused to the family members . May Our Lord give you the graces necessary to forgive. You will have to forgive her all of your life, too. God is with you all.
Prayers. I know you will get there with God's help. Nothing happens overnight but in God's time it will.
