great forgiveness
"He made him lord of his house and ruler of all his possessions." —Psalm 105:21
After Jesus fasted for forty days in the desert, He "returned in the power of the Spirit" (Lk 4:14). Likewise, we will emerge from this Lenten fast as great men and women of God, "filled with faith and the Holy Spirit" (Acts 6:5), but only if we accept God's grace to forgive those who have hurt us.
Joseph became one of the greatest people in history and one of the most powerful men in the world, but he first had to forgive his brothers for planning to murder him and for eventually selling him into slavery (Gn 37:20, 28). Jesus, the Greatest of all, God Himself, was the Stone rejected by the builders (Mt 21:42). Jesus was rejected so viciously that He was nailed to a cross. There He prayed: "Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing" (Lk 23:34). The greatest people are the greatest forgivers.
Forgiveness is one of the major graces given in our fasting. Forgiveness is the road to greatness, the way of the cross, the vocation of every person. Forgive and be great.
Prayer: Father, may I forgive as Jesus forgave when He hung upon His cross.
Promise: "The Stone Which the builders rejected has become the Keystone of the structure. It was the Lord Who did this and we find it marvelous to behold." —Mt 21:42; Ps 118:22-23
Praise: St. Frances wrote that sometimes, as a housewife, she must leave God at the altar to find Him in her housekeeping.
Reference: (For a related teaching, order our leaflet, Fourteen Questions on Forgiveness, or our audio on Forgiveness AV 106A-1, AV 106A-3, AV 106B-1 or our video V-106A, V-106B.)
Rescript: †Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, July 29, 2011
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