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Did you know?
A few interesting facts about the Catholic faith.
There are more Catholics in the U. S. Congress than any other religion.
Pope John Paul II's favorite movie was Life is Beautiful.
Saint Isidore of Seville is the proposed patron saint of internet users.
The Pontifical Yearbook revealed that during 2005 the number of diocesan and religious priests rose to 406,411 from 405,891, a relative increase of 0.13%.
3% of Iraq is Roman Catholic. The Catholic Church has been in Iraq for 400 years.
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Greetings!
During this time of Lent, we perform acts of sacrifice, penance and almsgiving in an effort to die to our old, selfish habits and turn closer to Jesus as we unite ourselves with His suffering and death on the cross. We strive to prepare our hearts for a fresh start, a new beginning, which the Resurrection of Jesus represents at Easter. Many of us make new daily prayer commitments, abstain from sweets or give up television in an effort to propel ourselves forward in a positive, faith-filled direction. All of these acts of mortification are noble, and our intent is to fulfill the commitments which we set to carry out. There is one area, however, which could impede our level of success if we choose to neglect it during this grace-filled season: forgiveness.
In this newsletter we will be discussing some of the various challenges of forgiveness. How can we make an attempt at forgiving others, especially the ones who have hurt us the most? How can we humbly face Jesus, Himself in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and ask forgiveness for our many offenses? These are challenges that, if conquered, can possibly make the most profound impact in our quest for a clean slate - a new beginning.
As spring approaches and we begin to notice the visible signs of new life like the daffodils as they sprout up or the trees as they begin to bloom, let us ask our Merciful Lord to inspire in us a desire to humbly ask for the forgiveness of those whom we have injured. Let us pray that we may be healed from the damage done to us by others. In this way, may we truly be united to the Risen Christ this Easter and be able to live in an abundance of His Faith, Hope and Love. |
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 ...To Forgive Divine
How many of us really live by the "Our Father"?
Perhaps the most widely recognized prayer in Christianity is the "Our Father". Many Catholics say this prayer daily, beseeching the Lord to "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us". I often wonder how many of us realize the importance of what we are asking and how well we live according to those words? Can we really expect that Jesus will forgive our sins, no matter how egregious, when we can't let go of the comparatively petty missteps done to us? Forget that He's God, forget that His mercy is infinite, what about justice? If we aren't forgiving, we are asking to have it both ways - we want His mercy but are unwilling to offer our mercy to others. At the root of the issue of course, is our pride, our resistance to forgive, and our inclination to avenge a wrong.
Our society isn't big on forgiveness. We're more likely to seek legal advice in a bid to get even for a wrong committed against us, in contradiction to what the Gospel teaches. The concept of individual rights has us running around believing we are little gods. No one can offend us and get away with it; no one can make an honest mistake and hurt us without our getting even. So we take each other to court. Forgiveness usually isn't even a consideration. But Jesus would have us do otherwise - "Love one another as I have loved you".
Our Savior gave his life so that you and I have recourse when we sin by confessing our sins to a priest. Before Jesus came, the sinner carried the burden of guilt and shame with no perceptible means of knowing God's forgiveness no matter how remorseful he might have been. His Church offers the sinner the Sacrament of Reconciliation - a tangible exchange of remorse and repentance on the part of the sinner; forgiveness and absolution on the part of God - what a blessing! And yet our pride keeps us from receiving this beautiful gift.
Even after confessing our sins and being resolved of those sins - wiping the slate clean in God's eyes, too many can't let go of the guilt and shame of our sin. We aren't always able to forgive ourselves because we are reluctant to believe we are worthy of the depth of love that elicits forgiveness. In essence, we don't believe we are worthy of love or mercy or forgiveness because we don't see ourselves through the eyes of Christ. Brothers and sisters, gaze at the Crucifix! Do you believe that Jesus Christ died for the souls of others, but not yours? Have you not been baptized into His Church, become His adopted sons and daughters, and promised by Jesus Himself that He would be with you always, even until the end of time? Did He not give His priests the authority to absolve you of every sin you confess - with no qualifiers? Then what can you possibly do to offend Him and not be forgiven if you repent and confess your sins? If God can forgive you, how is it that you cannot forgive yourselves? Are you greater than He? More complicated, more sophisticated? Perhaps you believe you know yourselves better than He knows you.
Jesus died so that you and I might catch a faint glimpse of the depth of His love for us and begin to understand our worthiness in His eyes. "This is My blood...it will be shed for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven."
Pick up the Crucifix. It's OK to feel some guilt or shame; but then, lift Him high and look up in hope and gratitude - and know that you are forgiven.
Deacon Jim LaFreniere has served as a Permanent Deacon at Saint Brigid Church in Alpharetta, GA for two years. |
 Food for Thought
An excerpt from Divorced. Catholic. Now what?
Below is an excerpt from the book Divorced. Catholic. Now what? which explores just one of the ways you can work on forgiveness through a divorce.
"Forgive the Intent: If you are finding it hard to forgive, you can kick-start the process by forgiving the intent. Typically, your pain is the result of someone's action, not their intent. For example, usually someone commits adultery to seek their own personal pleasure, not to inflict pain on their spouse. If you can understand your ex-spouse's actions from this perspective, it may be easier for you to forgive them. Once you are able to open the door to forgiveness, God will walk with you giving you the openess and courage to keep moving further down the road to forgiveness. Forgiving the intent is a significant step in that direction." |
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 Retrouvaille
Have you considered reconciling with your spouse?
Is it possible that part of your exploration of forgiveness could be reconciling with your spouse? If so, the Retrouvaille program is worth exploring. The word Retrouvaille (pronounced re-tro-vi with a long i.) is a French word meaning rediscovery. The program, which is Catholic in origin but open to people of all faiths, offers tools needed to rediscover a loving marriage relationship. Thousands of couples headed for cold, unloving relationships or divorce have successfully overcome their marriage problems by attending the program. |
 Praying on Forgiveness
Just how do you take the first steps toward forgiving?
When you experience a divorce, forgiving your former spouse sometimes seems outside the realm of possibility. Let's face it: When you're hurt and angry, forgiving the person who caused that hurt is not usually your first impulse. And even when the will to forgive is present, your feelings can often well up unbidden and overwhelm even the most fervent resolutions. With all these obstacles, actually forgiving your former spouse can feel as impossible a task as catching your own shadow.
So how do you achieve this critical, yet extremely difficult task? Well, one step to take is simply praying for the will to forgive. While the "Our Father" is a natural choice for this task, the following longer prayer on forgiveness is another choice. And, as you'll see, it really covers all the bases!
Click here to link to the forgiveness prayer. |
 Web Resources
Article: "Being a Man of Forgiveness": Jesus said, "If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also." These are tough words to live by when you're facing the pain of divorce. The excellent article "Being a Man of Forgiveness" from Catholic Men's E-zine discusses this teaching and explains why it is so important to our Catholic faith. Not just for men, this article teaches the power of the words "I forgive."
Article: "Teaching Forgiveness": The short article "Teaching Forgiveness" from AmericanCatholic.org shows how you can make practicing forgiveness a family affair and how modeling forgiving behavior for your children can be a life-long gift.
Website: "Confession Guide for Adults": In Divorced. Catholic. Now what?, we write that the first step in finding forgiveness for those who have hurt us it to recognize our own constant need for mercy from God. Partaking in the Sacrament of Reconciliation provides a special grace you cannot get just for asking forgiveness through private prayer. Anyone going through a divorce, regardless of how it happened, could benefit from some extra grace. This Confession Guide for Adults from the National Catholic Register provides a thorough outline for examination of conscience and a basic primer for confession. | |
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