The great Mahatma Gandhi once said: “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” Why so?
A few days ago I have joyfully participated in an interesting TV programme called Erġa’ Lura, presented by Edward Spiteri. The topic Edward tackled was forgiveness. The leading virtue which always strikes me in Jesus Christ is precisely forgiveness. On the altar of his Cross Jesus cried out loudly to the Father: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). His telling example simply exhorts me to forgive!
Forgiving is difficult. Even more so if the harm comes from those whom we have always trusted and cared for. Jesus underwent exactly the same experience. Unfortunately one of the people who hurt him was a paralytic. The latter’s sin consisted of cursing and rebellion against God. The Matthean text gives us a clear clue of how this was the case with this unfortunate man. When Jesus saw him the first thing he told him was: “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven” (Matt 9:2). How amazing it is that the Almighty God humbly but authoritatively forgives a sick man, a downcast of society. It surely turns out that Jesus’ ultimate concern was to liberate the paralytic from Satan’s influence in order that he could then heal him entirely by restoring back to him his physical health. How many patients, particularly those who are bedridden, feel angry with God. How important it is that they ask God’s forgiveness so as to live their sickness peacefully!
Forgiveness is God’s only prerogative. In the healing of the paralytic episode, Jesus says: “The Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins” (Matt 9:6). However, God shares his glory with us. Thus, he offers us his life-giving capacity to forgive like him. Empowered by his gracious mercy, which constantly lives in us through his Holy Spirit, we can easily say with loving conviction to those who directly or indirectly hurt us, even on a daily basis: “Your sins are forgiven” (Matt 9:5). Hence, forgiveness makes us a sacramental presence of the forgiving Father who “makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matt 5:45).
In the Lukan Gospel text Jesus’ injunction is clear: “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36). From this it follows that all Christians, particularly those who have a special responsibility within Christ’s flock to carry out his message to the peoples, are to practise unconditionally the virtue of reconciliation. Christ, “our peace,” cannot be proclaimed with resentment, anger or vengeance. An evangelising heart necessarily needs to be freed from such grave obstacles which seriously inhibit God’s saving grace from working within the hearts of the Good News recipients. On the contrary, on the example of Him “who has made us both one and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility” which separated us from each other (Eph 2:14), modern-day evangelisers should be the first ones to offer the hand of forgiveness and reconciliation to their offenders.
Forgiveness is the password for the authentic living of Jesus’ personal invitation to all of us: “You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matt 5:48). Such a living entails from us that we make the first step to embrace those who want to destroy us. Our words to them are encapsulated and blessed within the Risen Lord’s joyful salutation to his fearful disciples: “Peace be
with you” (John 20: 19. 21. 26).
Lord, help me to forgive because this is how you treat me when I offend you. Amen.
■ Fr Mario Attard OFM Cap