Ave Maria Meditations
Forgiveness from the heart
When it is hard to forgive, this is a grace we must ask for. Sometimes our human strength is not enough and we must ask God in humility and prayer. Sometimes it takes time to receive this grace, and this is normal. When we are very deeply wounded, receiving this grace can take time and a lot of prayer, patience, and humility.
It is difficult to say, “I forgive you.” It is easier to forgive the way Jesus does. When Jesus for gave His enemies on the cross, He turned to the Father and said, “Father, forgive them. They know not what they do.” When we find it too hard to say, “I forgive you,” we too must turn to the Father, because in the end only God can really forgive. We have to turn to the Father and say, “Father, forgive him or her, because he or she doesn’t know what they are doing.” To forgive, we have to go through the Heart of the Father. This is the source of forgiveness. It is not in me; it’s the Heart of God, and that’s where I have to go looking for forgiveness.
Fr. Jacques Philippe
