"How can someone forgive someone like that?"

Catholic Living Prayer Intentions
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I did a Bible Study on a small portion of the “Our Father” with one of my Protestant friends over on the YouVersion Bible App (which I have been enjoying).

This was my deep-dive reflection on the topic of Forgiveness. Thought I would share.

This Prayer that Jesus taught us to pray, “…forgive us our trespasses (or debts) as we forgive those who trespass against us,” is a Prayer of petition.

Jesus teaches us that it is okay to pray for ourselves, but also to pray for others.

Before we receive God’s grace to forgive others, we must first recognize that we are sinners.

St. John the Apostle said, “If we say we are without sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we acknowledge our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing. If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” (1 John 1:8-10)

This petition mirrors the tax collector’s Prayer in Jesus’ parable, in Luke 18:13, “O God, be merciful to me a sinner!”

In The Catechism, paragraph 2839, it points out that when we sin, we turn away from God, but in this petition, we return to Him, “like the prodigal son.”

At every Sacred Liturgy there is a call to forgive. It is commonly referred to as “the sign of peace,” but would be more appropriately renamed (in my opinion)

“When you stand to Pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance, so that your heavenly Father may in turn forgive you your transgressions.” — Mark 11:25

“All bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, and reviling must be removed from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ.” — Ephesians 4:31-32

We are also called to forgive our enemies (Matthew 5:43–44).

Often, when someone has done something beyond terrible (or what some define as “unforgivable”) to another human being, we may often think, “How can someone forgive someone like that?”

The Catechism says that this ability to forgive the most heinous offenses is found “in the depths of the heart.”

“It is not in our power not to feel or to forget an offense; but the heart that offers itself to the Holy Spirit turns injury to compassion and purifies the memory in transforming the hurt into intercession.” — CCC 2843

“Our Father, forgive us our trespasses (for I am a sinner), as we forgive those who trespass against us (from the depth of my heart).” Amen ♱

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Excellent good and Faithful servant. Keep up the good work. And Thanks!

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And it seems to me really hard to forgive someone who isn’t sorry, yet Jesus asked the Father to forgive the soldiers who were crucifying Him, and I don’t suppose that they were sorry.

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This is a great point!

And it is hard to forgive someone who keeps sinning against us over and over (as we do to God). But, Jesus says to forgive 70 times seven (Matthew 18:21-22).

Now this does not mean that we should trust an individual who has wronged us multiple times.

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Agree. One of the most difficult things to do is to forgive those who have wronged us. At times it is necessary to pray to God for the strength to forgive.

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Jesus, taught many things. One of the many things that he taught, was forgiveness. Out of love for God, and our fellow person, through charity, forgiveness is endless. There are times when forgiveness seems seems hard or difficult to do. We need the strength to overcome our own pride to forgive.
There are times, especially when those nearest to us, commit some wrong. That is when we feel the most hurt. With that in mind, how would God feel when we fall into sin time and again. And yet, we are the first to turn to God to ask for forgiveness. So in turn, I ask God to give me the strength to overcome my own weakness, so that I can forgive others, just as I wish to be forgiven myself.

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I’ve been thinking more about the act of forgiving those who aren’t sorry. The fact that Jesus asked for forgiveness for the soldiers who were killing him suggests that the Father might not have forgiven them unless Jesus asked Him to. For us, I think it is better to forgive even those who are not sorry. It releases them and us from our unforgiveness. For those who repent, there is unlimited forgiveness with God. One of my pastors when I lived in Virginia said that Judas would have been forgiven if he had repented; it would even have been the subject of famous paintings: “The Repentance of Judas,” with Judas kneeling at the cross an Christ forgiving him.

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From a personal perspective. My own understanding, if somebody sins. And the action of that sin is against me. Then I would forgive that person. If the person repents, or fails to repent. Before or after the forgiveness, then I would presume, that would be for God as judge to decide the outcome for the particular person, or persons.

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Forgiveness is about healing yourself it’s not about the other person if you make it about them your focus is in the wrong place.The goal is to get the black poison out of you not stew on it or you have done nothing.Its about what’s going on inside you and changing it to the better.Its looking inwards not outwards.Its about healing yourself.

Jesus told his deciples they must forgive and what did they reply “Please lord give us more faith!”

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Genuine forgiveness, is an act of humility on the part of the person forgiving. It is pride, that stops a person forgiving.

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Correct: we mustn’t “play god” . "Forgive US we forgive everyone, for everything is what we commit to in the Lords Prayer… Then do forgive and allow God to be GOD.

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I find myself unable to forgive an abusive relative who died without acknowledging, much less apologizing for, his abusive nature and actions. I have been reliving this abuse in my mind every day for over 60 years. Like everyone else, he had good points and bad, but abusing animals and toddlers for his pleasure is a bridge too far for me. God forgive me.

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Hi Rob. Welcome to the forum. That is tough. Ask God to help you forgive. If this guy abused animals and toddlers, my suspicion is that he himself might have been abused growing up or around someone who was abusive (again, not excusing his actions, but trying to understand).

We usually fall one of three ways. We either become what was done to us (and continue the viscous cycle); recognize the wrongs that were done to us and move on from it (not letting it define who we are); or we let wat was done to us break us.

And maybe all three at different phases of our life. The key is to allow God to heal us and to ask God to heal the one who abused (even if they are no longer alive, for God works outside of space & time). Start here and see how God works it out. And know that you are in my Prayers.

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Thank you Brother. I’ll try

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