Thursday 13th August, 2009
SS PONTIAN & HIPPOLYTUS.
 Joshua 3:7-11, 13-17. Alleluia! —Ps 113A(114):1-6. Matthew 18:21 – 19:1.

  
Meditation: mp3 | podcast
Readings: Text | mp3 | podcast

How many times must I forgive my brother or sister?

Jesus teaches many lessons about forgiveness. Why do we find it such a hard lesson to learn? We waste so much energy in not forgiving, in feeling vengeful and wanting to ‘get our own back’. Jesus shows us that the one who is hurt must take the initiative and make the decision to love that person again. Jack Kornfield, in A Path with Heart, says, ‘Forgiveness simply says that we will not put someone out of our heart.’ We can learn to love them again.

Military law in the time of Jesus meant that a Roman soldier could order a civilian to carry his equipment a mile. Jesus said we should be prepared to go an extra mile. He meant that if we are truly free and forgiving we would be willing to go that extra mile, to do more than we’ve been asked to do.

Forgiveness is a freeing act. Instead of being bogged down in a mire of negative feelings—self pity, anger, sadness and pain—we are free to grow into a more loving person. As Kornfield says, ‘Forgiveness is an act of the heart.’ May we heed the words of today’s gospel and always forgive our brothers and sisters from the heart.