Reflecting on Divine Mercy Sunday and forgiving injuries

Sisters and brothers in Christ, today is Divine Mercy Sunday and, in the Gospel reading, Jesus tells the disciples "Peace be with you. . . Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." Fr. Charlie gave an evocative homily on forgiveness, saying that forgiveness is our decision and being willing to offer forgiveness willingly and unbegrudgingly frees us to love as God desires us to love. However, he explains that reconciliation requires those involved to be willing to reconcile with each other and move on.

Fr. Charlie also pointed out that the crucifix in our sanctuary (see below) is known at the "Mercy Crucifix" because it depicts the moment when Jesus is on the Cross and said to his Father in heaven: "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Moreover, he shared that the image of the Divine Mercy depicts Jesus' left foot in front of his right foot, which tells us that Jesus does not stay back and wait to forgive but he comes to us and forgives, just as Jesus appeared to the disciples and forgave them for abandoning him in his time of need. We are reminded to forgive every time we pray the "Our Father", saying ". . .and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. . ."

After Mass, a parishioner came up to me and we talked about forgiveness. She shared that a while back a young man drove recklessly and "t-boned" her car with his car. As a result of the collision, she is in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. She shared that while she had already forgiven him and pray for him (and his family), wherever he may be, there are times when she gets really angry at him because she cannot do something that she would normally be able if she had not been seriously injured in the collision. She was very distraught when she told me this and my heart ached for her. We talked about forgiveness, about bringing her anger to Christ and putting it at the foot of his Cross, and about asking the Holy Spirit to strengthen her in those moments of anger. I also told her to give herself the grace to allow herself to be angry in those moments but also to trust in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I prayed with her and then she left. Please keep her in your prayers for healing.

Jesus, I Trust in You.