Prince of Peace Roman Catholic Parish issued the following announcement on Sept. 10.

Today’s readings offer an uncomfortable, yet clear challenge to us: the challenge of forgiveness.

First, it is important to remember that forgiving another does not mean absolving them of responsibility. To forgive another is to confirm that they have done wrong and are in need of forgiveness. Mercy does not cancel out justice or the need for conversion, yet it does open up a path of charity that encourages and promotes conversion and justice. For the Christian in the world, we live in mercy and we long for justice, yet we entrust final justice (final conversion) always to God. As long as we believe in the power and mercy of God, we always hope for this. We are called to forgive those who sin against us. This message is made clear by Peter’s question to Jesus, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus answers, “Not seven times but seventy-seven times” (Mt. 18-21-22). We have probably heard this instruction many times and we can sometimes take it for granted. It may be easy to apply to every day situations: I will forgive you for leaving your dishes in the sink, I will even forgive the close friend who says something hurtful behind my back; yet what about the person who deeply hurts us? Think about broken relationships and victims of crime.

Our inclination may be simply to say that some things are too terrible to forgive. Certainly, it is only human that we must often go through a period of anger, bitterness, and mourning. Perhaps, we will never forget some wrongs. Yet there is great wisdom in Jesus’ words about forgiveness. Our human experience tells us that when we hold on to anger and hatred, it eats away at us. It can begin to change us and make us into persons we never wanted to be. In some way, forgiveness frees the one who forgives from carrying that burden. We can forgive while not forgetting and entrust judgment to God. We always need to remember that it is God who forgives sin and wrongdoing. Our forgiveness is actually a participation in God’s larger act of forgiveness. When Jesus was dying on the cross, He asked His Father to forgive His executioners (Lk 23:34). Jesus was still in the midst of His suffering and so could not forgive them for something that was not yet completed. Yet, He could call on His Father do so just as we can call on God to forgive those wo have wronged us. Recall when the late Pope John Paul II forgave his would-be assassin, he did not immediately lobby for his release from prison. In a similar way you may forgive someone who steals from you, yet you are not obligated to loan them money. Forgiveness is a necessary process for each of us. While we may never forget what has happened to us, we equally need to remember that God is giving us an opportunity to contemplate, persevere, and endure. 

Original source can be found here.

Source: Prince of Peace Roman Catholic Parish