Easter is a time of celebration, of new life, of hope and of forgiveness

Easter is a time of celebration, of new life, of hope and of forgiveness,
ours by Christ and others by us.

     Under the direction of God in Old Testament, people would bring bulls, goats, doves, or a spotless lamb to the temple priest to be sacrificed as a sin offering. This was not a private event, this took place in the temple in front of everyone else even as their sacrifice was. This was an act of devotion and obedience to God as much as it was an acknowledgment that sin and corruption were a part of everyone’s life, no one was sinless. God had instructed the people to act, to DO the process of the sacrifice in order for them to confront their need for forgiveness and their need to forgive others.

     When God became flesh and dwelt among us God continued this teaching to the people. Flesh was frail and the spirit was weak, yet God became flesh to show us that redemption was indeed possible. The people who cried out, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” did not realize that Jesus was the sacrifice they needed, that He was the forgiveness that would set them free. That freedom was twofold as it was in prior days, the forgiveness that I received and so was set free from my guilt and the forgiveness that I could give to others and be set free from my anger and hurt. Jesus didn’t simply pay for our sins, He gave us the example that we must make sacrifices for others—for their sake and ours.
 
     The Jan. 9, 1984 Time magazine cover story titled “Why Forgive?” spoke of forgiveness as a necessary act for health and wellbeing for the community as well as the individual. Focusing on  Pope John Paul's forgiveness of Mehmet Ali Agca, the man who tried to assassinate him, journalist Lance Morrow wrote:
 The psychological case for forgiveness is overwhelmingly persuasive. Not to forgive is to be imprisoned by the past, by old grievances that do not permit life to proceed with new business. "Not to forgive is to yield oneself to another's control. If one does not forgive, then one is controlled by the other's initiatives and is locked into a sequence of act and response, of outrage and revenge, tit for tat, escalating always. The present is endlessly overwhelmed and devoured by the past. But to forgive is to be free from the past.
 
     Harboring anger, hate, resentment, or blame is a very real impairment in the present physical, mental, emotional and spiritual life. Steven Lucas MBACP, professional counselor and therapist writes how the past, concretized and lived in the present, will cause mental, emotional, and spiritual degradation and harm: 
 When we are unwilling to forgive, resentment builds and anger is displayed. Resentment refers to the mental process of repeatedly replaying a feeling, and the events leading up to it, that goad or anger us. We don’t replay a cool litany of “facts” in resentment; we re-experience and relive them in ways that affect us emotionally, physiologically and spiritually in very destructive ways. The inability to overcome resentment probably constitutes the single most devastating impediment to repairing a disintegrating intimate connection, family rift, or severed friendship. “Living with resentment is like taking poison and expecting the other guy to get sick.”
This makes vivid one of the most crippling aspects of resentment – one you may be experiencing right now. If you’re thinking about ways to get even and prove to another person that you’re right and they’re wrong, you need to remember that the person who is the focus of your animosity may be feeling just fine, enjoying life, and perhaps not at all troubled by any of the interactions that are renting space in your brain. Ultimately, resentment hurts you far more than the person
toward whom you bear a grudge.
 
     Jesus said, "If you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:14-15) How can God forgive my sins when they are more real, more important to me than God? An unforgiving spirit locks me into myself, wounded and blaming the other for my pain. An unforgiving spirit makes it impossible to truly accept Christ and the peace that Christ gives, for they are one in the same.
 
     Jesus forgave those who Crucified Him and that example set us free to do the same. It is important to remember that, even though He forgave them, that did not mean they all accepted Him. Our responsibility to forgive the other may not lead to the restoration of the relationship, for the other must accept forgiveness even as we have. Jesus showed us what we are to do regardless of what others are doing, He did this because He knew the effect the alternative would have on us; “Living with resentment is like taking poison and expecting the other guy to get sick.” We no longer need a goat or bull or lamb, we have received forgiveness and have been set free to forgive—to be free.
 
     Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. (Colossians 3:12-13)
 
Accepting and giving forgiveness in Christ,
Fr. Bill+