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MAY 31<br />
FORGIVENESS IS THE BEGINNING<br />
“Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so<br />
I send you.’ When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,<br />
‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven<br />
them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” (Jn 20: 21-23)<br />
The first gift of the Holy Spirit received by the Apostles, well before<br />
the outpouring of His gifts on Pentecost, was the power to forgive.<br />
Forgiveness is the beginning of spiritual life. It’s the beginning of the end<br />
to self-isolation, from God and other people. It clears the way to other<br />
gifts, enabling growth.<br />
The obstacles to forgiveness are very real, nonetheless. Not only, but<br />
especially, when I can see that the other person/people behaved badly.<br />
It’s so easy for me to see that, really. But I can ask for God’s grace to “see”<br />
differently, as He sees: He sees that we all struggle or behave badly, in one<br />
way or another. We’re all fellow-strugglers.<br />
I need to ask for the gift of forgiveness, because God has it on offer, if I<br />
ask: “Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will<br />
give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a<br />
scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your<br />
children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to<br />
those who ask him!” (Lk 11: 11-13)<br />
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