forgiveness

If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. (Matthew 6:14) 

Does this verse mean that God’s forgiveness is like a vending machine? You put in your forgiveness, and his mercy comes out? Well, no. It doesn’t work quite like that.

Jesus is explaining a fundamental principle about the way God forgives. It’s not that he withholds his mercy from us until we have forgiven everyone who has ever hurt us. He’s always offering it to us—we just can’t receive it! It’s as if we are holding an umbrella over our heads, and the rain of God’s forgiveness can’t touch us.

So yes, we must forgive those who sin against us if we want to know God’s forgiveness. But how do we do it?

It’s simple: by choosing. Forgiveness is not a feeling; it’s an act of the will. But sometimes—often, in fact—it doesn’t come easily. God knows that we can be tempted to stew in anger or seek revenge, and that’s why he is always ready to help us. Just as he received a man’s humble and imperfect statement of faith—“I do believe, help my unbelief!”—so too Jesus receives our halting efforts to forgive (Mark 9:24). He embraces them and makes them fruitful. It all begins when we pray, “Lord, I want to forgive; help my unforgiveness!” We may still feel the sting of the offense against us, but with God’s help, we can choose to let go of the grudge.

No one embodied this kind of mercy more than Jesus did. Wounded and bleeding on the cross, he chose to pray, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Our sin had caused his suffering; our disobedience had led to his own agony and crucifixion, yet he forgave us. His example tells us that the grace to forgive is available to everyone—even us! 

Today ask the Spirit to reveal someone you need to forgive. Then put down your umbrella of bitterness, and make the choice to extend mercy. Don’t worry if you still can’t let go of the hurt. Just ask the Lord to help your unforgiveness, and leave it at that for today. Then ask the same thing tomorrow and the next day and the next. As you do, God’s forgiveness will begin to flood your heart.

“Jesus, give me a merciful heart.” 

from wau.org

"God-confidence"

Our qualification comes from God. (2 Corinthians 3:5) 

Akashi Kaikyō Bridge in Japan has the largest central span of any suspension bridge in the world. This elegant structure, which is held up by only two towers and a network of steel cables, can look dangerously fragile, but in reality it is incredibly strong. Although its supports seem so minimal, it can withstand 178 mph winds and earthquakes of up to 8.5 magnitude. Imagine the engineering genius that went into the making of this bridge! 

Did you know that you are the result of an even more wondrous feat of engineering? In today’s first reading, St. Paul calls our attention to the incredible structure that God has been building in our lives. Everything that we are, everything that we do, all the forces that we withstand—it all gives evidence of how carefully God has crafted our foundation. Like a master builder, he has laid this foundation with great precision and fortified it with his own divine grace. What a marvel you are!

Here’s even more marvelous news: God isn’t done building you! Through the grace of his sacraments, he continues to make you stronger and steadier. Day after day, he infuses you with the gifts of his Holy Spirit so that you can withstand any gale force winds that might come against you. Through the witness and encouragement of other brothers and sisters in Christ, he continues to teach you how to adapt to the pressures of temptation without snapping or crumbling.

Take some time today to stand back and admire God’s handiwork. You are a marvel! You are far stronger than you think, far more flexible than you think, and far more capable than you think. You have “the strength for everything” in Christ, who strengthens you (Philippians 4:13)! So try not to give in to fear when you face challenges today. Instead, stand firm on the foundation God has poured for you. Pray for the situation, not in “self-confidence,” but “God-confidence.”

Remember, God has given you the perfect structure for the job he has assigned you to do. Christ is with you, he is in you, and he is more than able to work through you. 

“Lord, thank you for all you have built in me. Give me confidence to use your gifts.”

from wau.org

Godly encouragement

The God of all encouragement . . . (2 Corinthians 1:3)

Experts tell us that for every negative comment we hear, it takes five positive comments to balance it out. That means it’s much easier to get discouraged than to feel encouraged. Perhaps that’s why Paul uses the word “encourage” or “encouragement” ten times in this letter. Maybe he wanted the Corinthians—and us—to know God’s love more deeply. 

The Gospels give us lots of examples of Jesus encouraging people.

When a scribe asked Jesus which commandment was the greatest, he replied, “You are not far from the kingdom of God” (Mark 12:34). Imagine how good that scribe must have felt!

When Peter professed him as the Christ, Jesus answered, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah” (Matthew 16:17). Think of how that must have reinforced Peter’s conviction and his desire to keep following Jesus. 

When confronted with a woman caught in adultery, Jesus told her, “Neither do I condemn you” (John 8:11). Imagine how these words must have strengthened her to go and “not sin any more” (8:11)!

The encouragement didn’t stop when Jesus returned to his Father. He promised to send the Holy Spirit as “another Advocate” (John 14:16). And can you guess which word is used for “advocate”? Parakletos, which comes from the same Greek word for encouragement that Paul uses in today’s first reading! 

Part of the reason Paul stressed the Holy Spirit’s role as encourager was that he was writing to Christians undergoing hardship. He wanted them to know that the Holy Spirit would help them find hope and stay close to the Lord even through trials. He wanted to tell them that the Spirit could teach them through their trials so that they could walk alongside other people and offer them the same encouragement. 

The Holy Spirit wants to encourage you as well. When you’re feeling down on yourself, he will help lift your spirits. When you wonder whether your efforts are bearing fruit, he will show you how much you’ve grown. And when things are going well, he is with you, encouraging you to keep up the good work.

God is on your side. He is always at work, offering you his encouragement.

“Holy Spirit, how do you want to encourage me today?”

from wau.org

Listen

I sprang to my feet, leaving the dinner untouched. (Tobit 2:4) 

There’s a special branch of the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force called the Quick Reaction Alert force. These pilots are on constant alert. Should a threat arise, they can be in the air in minutes. They could be fast asleep, brushing their teeth, or eating lunch, but they snap into action when the alarm sounds.

This sounds a bit like Tobit’s prompt response in today’s reading, doesn’t it? It was the Jewish feast of Weeks, and he was relaxing in front of a fine dinner. But when he heard that a fellow countryman had been killed, he immediately went out and buried the man. This was both a dangerous and a subversive act for an Israelite like himself living in exile in Nineveh. The Ninevites intentionally affronted Jewish customs by doing things like delaying the burial of dead Jews. But Tobit never hesitated. He was on constant “alert” to do God’s will. He didn’t allow his own comfort or safety to get in the way. He didn’t allow fear or so-called common sense to stop him. A brother in the Lord had been killed, and he deserved the dignity of a proper Jewish burial. 

So how can we be on call for the Lord just as Tobit was? How can we be always alert as those British pilots are? In our case, the call probably won’t sound like a siren, and we probably won’t need a shovel and a strong back. God is much more likely to summon us with the “still small voice” of his Spirit. 

The key is to listen. Take a minute at the end of your prayer time or after Mass to listen with your heart. What comes to mind? You might feel the need to call a friend who is hurting. You might remember a long-standing disagreement with your neighbor and start thinking about pursuing reconciliation. Or you might feel a new enthusiasm welling up inside you to join a ministry at church.

No matter how you hear the call, take action! 

“Lord, give me ears to hear you and the courage to follow you, no matter where you call! Help me to be always ready to respond to you.”

from wau.org