"Why Forgive?"

Eucharistic Adoration tonight, 7-8 pm, SAA Church. The Summer Series ends with my second talk on, “Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory”. Hope you can join us!
---------------------------------------
A couple of people who haven’t been able to attend the Summer Series have asked me to post my notes from the talks. I will try to do this over the next few weeks; although, they may not make total sense! Below are my notes from one of the talks, “Why Forgive?”

After this talk, someone asked a question that was virtually identical to one posted by an anonymous blogger: “ So, if we are to forgive as God forgives us, I get stuck on one point- repentance. Doesn’t God require that of us- being contrite, asking for forgiveness and doing penance?” This same blogger then pointed to the answer to his or her own question: “I see that maybe I get confused with the difference between forgiveness and reconciliation”.

It was the same way I answered the question from that night: if someone has sinned against us and reconciliation is not possible (e.g., they don’t ask for forgiveness, the circumstances make it impossible to reconcile with them), then we are called to forgive them from our hearts. In this way, we are forgiving as God forgives: always offering mercy. God is mercy, so He is always offering mercy and forgiveness to us who have sinned against Him; reconciliation with Him is up to us. We are called to always offer mercy and forgiveness to others who have sinned against us; reconciliation with us is up to them.
-----------------------------------------

Why Forgive?

I. PJP II / Time magazine, 1981: Why Forgive?

II. Why should God forgive?

- Original Sin
- Sins that followed against 10 commandments
“after that first sin, the world is virtually inundated by sin. There is Cain’s
murder of his brother Abel and the universal corruption which follows in
the wake of sin. Likewise, sin frequently manifests itself in the history of
Israel, especially as infidelity to the God of the Covenant and as
transgression of the Law of Moses” (CCC, #401)
- Persecution against prophets God sends
- Why send Christ to forgive us??

- God’s essence: mercy/ love (God is Mercy; God is Love)
- God cannot NOT forgive; God cannot NOT love

- He is Father Almighty with “infinite mercy, for he displays his power at
its height by freely forgiving sins” (CCC, # 270)
- Father of Prodigal Son, e.g.

- God is Love; “the first effect of the gift of love is the forgiveness of sins”
(CCC, #734)

- infinite wisdom / providence
When He created us, He knew that we would sin / reject Him
- His Plan from all eternity was to forgive us
- not caught off guard by our sin / need for forgiveness

- God forgives us because of our dignity
- created in his own image and likeness
- we are the only creatures made in his image
- “ “ who receive the fullness of His mercy
(course, we are only ones who sin so offensively against Him)


- STORY OF GOD’S FORGIVENESS: Christ on Cross
- greatest sign of God’s mercy in the world
- even within that, “Father, forgive them, …”


III. Why should we forgive? (to live God’s mercy)

a. others
LUCAS STORY / WELLS FAMILY

- to be forgiven by God – Our Father
- we’re not perfect…why hold others to perfection
- God doesn’t hold grudges against us if we’re sorry
- we shouldn’t
- to be God-like (most Christ-like when forgive)
- what it means to be a Christian
BE JESUS
- “defining moments” – people / families / counseling
- dignity / respect of human person
- Jesus says so
- forgive not seven times, but “seventy times seven times” (Mt 18:22)
- forgive always; limitless mercy
- radical forgiveness
- live God’s (radical, unlimited) mercy
- FG’s stories / examples – forgiving murder (seventy times seven)
- our own healing
VA TECH, e.g.

b. ourselves
- Healing

CONFESSION
-confessing sin from past confessions: LET IT GO!
- God forgives us, others have forgiven us, need to forgive
ourselves (hardest part of process)

SPOUSE IN BAD MARRIAGE, e.g.

- Healing of wounds
- lighter burdens
- peace

IV. Why should the Church forgive?
- to extend God’s (radical, unlimited mercy)

- “there is no offense, however serious, that the Church cannot forgive” (CCC, #982)
- JP II
- “the Church is the sacrament, that is to say, the sign and means of reconciliation in different ways…which all come together to obtain what the divine initiative of mercy desires to grant to humanity” (document: Reconciliation and Penance, #11)
- “means of the divine initiative of mercy”
- i.e., God forgives through the Church
- Power of forgiveness to Church; Mt 16 + Jn 20
- w/out Church, wouldn’t have God’s forgiveness, wouldn't know Christ, wouldn’t know about God / have sacraments

- God has given the Church the “ministry of reconciliation” (2 Cor 5:18)
- continues Christ’s ministry
- begun with Christ
- done in Christ

- through the Church, we are reconciled to God and each other

ST. STEPHEN / CHRIST’S FORGIVENESS THRU CHURCH
- “Lord, do not hold this sin against them”
- Church and Christ are one

V. How to forgive / Helps in forgiving
- Grace

- Euch (Mass, Adoration)
- Confession
-regular confession --> humility -->-forgiveness
“humble are never scandalized”

- Prayer (for person / situation involving forgiveness)
- daily prayer + devotions/novenas
- Sacred Scripture (handout)
- Compassion (Fr Joyce handout) – understand whole person / situation
- Humor
- Lives of saints – examples of unlimited / radical forgiveness
St. Maria Goretti

VI. Adoration
- in presence of Mercy

- Jesus, thank you for your Mercy
Offering your life for our sins to be forgiven

- help us to be healed through your forgiveness
- help us to be healed through the forgiveness of others
- help us to be healed through forgiving others
- help us to be healed through forgiving ourselves