In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
It is important to forgive ourselves for the mistakes and sins we have committed and to
accept ourselves as we are, because that is how God Himself loves us.
And if someone believes that God is to blame for his evils, he must also, in a sense, forgive
God and be reconciled to Him.
Forgiveness frees us from all kinds of bondages we may have.
Forgiveness is the first step of healing for any spiritual and physical ties.
Love heals you; but hatred makes you sick and destroys you.
So give yourself the opportunity to forgive or the joy of making someone able to forgive
and love instead of hate.
The exorcist of Venice, Father Pellegrino Ernetti, says: With my experience of more
than 30 years, I can say that, except in rare cases, thirty percent of the cases in which
Satan makes people suffer, it is because the person does not know or does not want to forgive
his enemies or those who he thinks have hurt him.
For this reason, forgiveness is a necessity in order to be happy.
Father Marcelino tells us: One day a woman came to ask for prayer: "Please pray for the
conversion of my daughter, who has lost faith in God and respect for her parents.
If she talks it is only to insult ". I told her:" Kneel in the presence of Jesus and forgive
your daughter with all your heart.
Think that the Lord loves and accepts your daughter as she is and praise Him on her behalf."
Hours later, as if pushed by an invisible force, a very puzzled woman came.
She told me that three days before, she felt so bad about herself; but a mysterious power
prevented her from continuing to feel bad.
She did not understand why; she only felt rejection for everything, even for herself
and for God.
I invited her to pray with me.
And, the Lord touched her heart so visibly that she confessed with true repentance.
Then we prayed for the healing of her memories and her injuries from her past.
And in the end, she began to praise God and promised that she would do it for the rest
of her life.
The woman turned out to be the daughter of the lady who had asked for prayer in the morning.
As the mother refused full and unconditional forgiveness for her own daughter, her prayers
went unanswered.
Because when we refuse to forgive, God's hands are tied; the Almighty cannot help us.
He needs our forgiveness through our free will so the hands of God are free and He can
perform miracles of love.
As soon as the mother forgave her daughter and offered her to the Lord with love, not
with rejection, God intervened in their lives.
The two have now been walking together with Jesus for several years.
Another case, a man went to see a nun in a convent to tell her that he had a very ill
daughter who had leukemia.
The man was desperate and he constantly repeated: You have to do something for my daughter.
I can't think God is going to take her away.
And the nun says:
I came with him to the hospital to see his daughter and, looking at her, I noticed that
she was extremely ill.
Out of the same compassion I felt for her father, it would have been very easy for me
to say to him, "Don't worry she will be fine."
That was true, God was going to take care of her, but we have to remember that we should
not always let our sympathy, our compassion, speak of her, but our Lord Jesus Christ.
So I spoke to the father, but he couldn't accept it.
He kept repeating to me: "No, I can't see God take my daughter away: I've been faithful
to God, why is God doing these things to me?"
I prayed for that girl so that God would heal her.
And after talking to her dad, I realized that he couldn't hear my words, because he had
a lot of anger in his heart.
However, I knew that he had the freedom to intercede with God in her place.
Three days later, I received a phone call.
His daughter had died.
I went to the funeral and when I saw the father next to the coffin, he came to me, hugged
me, and this is what he said to me: "Sister, now I really know what healing means.
Healing means saying Yes to God.
When I look at my daughter, the only daughter I had, there is sadness in my heart, but there
is a tremendous feeling of peace.
God has given me the grace to accept His will.
Two weeks ago, and even two days ago, I could not accept God's will.
But now I understand what you told me the other night: God never fails His people.
My daughter was healed and taken to the kingdom where God wants her to be.
And the Lord healed me and left me here to tell and testify about His faithfulness to others.
In September 1225, Saint Francis of Assisi was ill at Saint Damien, where he had composed
the Canticle of the Creatures.
Then, he learned that Bishop Guido had excommunicated Governor Derlingero and that he had prohibited
the prelate from doing any service.
Saint Francis of Assisi felt obliged to intervene and invited the two of them to meet other
important people in the episcopal house.
He spoke about the verses of the Canticle of the Creatures and everyone listened attentively.
When Saint Francis started speaking about the verse where it says: "Praised be You,
my Lord through those who forgive for Your love", the bishop and the governor asked each
other for forgiveness, they hugged each other in front of all the people and the scandal
ended, leaving everyone in peace.
The Lord had touched the hearts of the adversaries.
On another occasion, Saint Francis of Assisi was in the village of Collestrada, in the
county of Perugia, and he met a farmer on the road, whom our saint Francis greeted:
- How are you doing brother?
- I'm doing badly because of my boss, whom God curses - The farmer replied.
- Why brother?
Forgive your employer for the love of God and you will save your soul.
Besides, he may give you back what he has stolen from you.
The farmer replied: - I cannot forgive him in any way, if he does
not first give me back what he has taken from me.
And Saint Francis said: - Look, I give you my mantle, but I ask you to forgive your employer
for the love of God.
And the farmer moved by the goodness of Saint Francis of Assisi, took the mantle and forgave
his boss.
On another occasion, Saint Francis of Assisi met a leper and greeted him by saying:
- Peace be with you, brother.
But the leper replied: -What peace can I have from God, if God has
taken my peace and everything good?
Then, Saint Francis of Assisi began to cure him with love and the leper healed his body
and soul by God's grace.
In the life of Saint Paschal Baylón between the years of 1540 and 1592, he helped to convince
a rich man from Monforte in Spain to forgive.
According to the Acts of the saint's canonization process it says:
I was a child and one afternoon they brought home the body of my father, who had been stabbed
to death.
Everyone knew who the culprits were, but the lack of evidence did not allow justice to
act freely.
I felt a lot of resentment and hatred towards the ones who killed my father.
The nuns of Loreto, the most influential people of Monforte and others had taken to heart
converting me.
But their reflections did nothing but exasperate me more and more.
One Good Friday, after the sermon on forgiving enemies, Saint Paschal Baylón took me by
the arm and said: - My son, it is clear that you have not witnessed
the Passion of Jesus.
Forgive for the love of Jesus crucified.
These words, spoken in a plaintive tone captivated me.
And then, overcome, touched, sobbing, I said with lips trembling with emotion:
- Yes, my father, I forgive for the love of God.
- Brothers, excuse me, Saint Paschal Baylón exclaimed.
And the people, who were anxious, broke into a frantic clamor.
I was crying too.
Tears of fire flowed from my eyes, falling on the saint's hand, who continued to hold
me in his arms.
Meanwhile, the hatred of so many years melted in my chest like ice melts when struck by
the rays of the sun.
At last, I gave up and I no longer felt that I was the victim of revenge.
Father Luis Muñoz, in the 17th century, speaking of Saint John of Avila, says: Living in Montilla,
he knew that there were two people with capital and vindictive hatred.
One day Saint John of Ávila entered the church of Santiago, he saw one of the two enemies,
the most offended.
Getting along with him and, with many pleas and humility, he tried to convince him to
reconcile himself with his adversary and to be his friend.
Our Saint multiplied examples and reasons with singular modesty and gentleness; but
he persevered inexorably.
Finally, Saint John of Avila said: "At least do one thing for the love of God: enter that
chapel and pray before the crucifix that is there an Our Father and a Hail Mary, asking
God to enlighten your understanding."
The man went to the chapel, prostrated before the crucifix and began his prayer.
Before finishing the Our Father Prayer, he got up very quickly, became pale, trembled
and was very disturbed.
And the man said to Saint John of Avila: "I want to be a friend of my enemy."
And laying down at the feet of Saint John of Avila he said: "Father, I beg your Reverence,
for the love of God, not to let this case go, until we become friends very quickly.
I, of course, forgive all the grievances and injuries that he has done to me, both in deed
and in word, and I do it purely for the love of Christ, God and our Redeemer, who suffered
death on the cross and asked forgiveness for those who took His life."
All of this the man said while he was very pale and shaking.
Saint John of Avila hugged him and thanked him for what he did.
The two enemies became friends and they had a very stable friendship from then on.
In the life of Saint Anthony Mary Claret there is a tragic but consoling episode.
This saint had been consecrated bishop in the Vich cathedral on October 6th, 1850.
Returning from this city, he passed through the town of Villafranca del Penedés and they
begged him to assist four prisoners sentenced to death.
The four convicts rejected the confession.
Saint Anthony Mary Claret went instantly to jail, was with the four inmates, spoke to
them with that zeal and love that he possessed and managed to convert them.
The four condemned were taken to the gallows.
Already in it, our saint asked them, according to the formula of the ritual, if they would
forgive all those who had offended them.
One of the condemned went ahead of Saint Anthony Mary Claret and with a clear voice, which
was heard by the crowd, said: I forgive everyone, except my mother, she is the cause of why
I have come here to end my life in a horrible way, for not correcting me when she should.
The crowd that witnessed the scene was seized with deep emotion.
Then, Saint Anthony Mary Claret knelt at the feet of the condemned man, bent down and kissed them.
He pleaded with all sweetness and vehemence for him to forgive his poor mother; out of
love for Jesus Christ.
The people wept, moved by the humble attitude of Saint Anthony Mary Claret, and the unfortunate
prisoner repeated insistently: "Father, I have nothing to forgive you, you have not
offended me in anything; my mother is responsible for everything."
The execution could not be delayed any longer.
Saint Anthony Mary Claret prayed fervently for the conversion of that man.
The executioner was waiting to fulfill his office.
Finally, that criminal, a moment before the execution, reconciled with his mother and
forgave her, thus being able to find the peace and joy of his forgiveness before dying.
There is an event in the life of Pope Saint Pius X that has gone down in history as an
example of mercy and forgiveness.
When he was bishop of Mantua, a merchant from this city wrote a note full of slander against him.
Those who advised the Pope told him to denounce the slanderer and Pope Saint Pius X replied:
- That unhappy man needs prayer more than punishment.
But forgiveness went further.
After some time, the merchant declared bankruptcy.
The creditors proceeded against him.
When he had lost everything, an unknown hand came to his aid.
Pope Saint Pius X summoned an elderly lady dedicated to charitable works.
Through her, he sent him an envelope of money.
In this way, Pope Saint Pius X responded to hatred with love and generosity.
To forgive is to love
In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen