Prayer for Forgiveness

Heavenly Father, I  believe in YOU, with all my heart, with all my life and I acknowledge all my sins before YOU.

Forgive me the sins that I have committed against YOU, in the weakness of my flesh and forgive me the sins that are unknown to me.

Cleanse my heart and purify my soul from the impurity of sin and bring my life to a Holy end in YOU— doing YOUR Most Holy Will.

Amen.

PRIDE

In PRIDE one exhausts one's Patience to understand and to bear with the weaknesses of other person.

PRIDE acts indifferently and unbelievingly towards God— the source of Love and Mercy.

In PRIDE one becomes deprived of God's Grace— to Love and Forgive and be Merciful.

Our relationship suffers greatly on account of PRIDE.

Christian Mother forgives her son's murderer

St. Francis de Sales relates that at Padua, where he pursued part of his studies, there existed a detestable custom. The young men amused themselves by running through the streets at night armed with arquebuses, and crying out to all those they met,
"Who goes there?"

People were obliged to answer, for they fired upon those who gave no reply, and many persons were thus wounded or killed.

It happened one evening that a student, not having responded to the question, was struck in the head by a ball and mortally wounded. The perpetrator of this deed, seized with terror, took to flight and sought refuge in the house of a good widow whom he knew, and whose son was his fellow-student. He confessed to her with tears that he had just killed someone unknown to him, and begged her to give him an asylum in her house.

Touched with compassion, and not suspecting that she had before her the murderer of her son, the lady concealed the fugitive in a place of safety where the officers of justice would be unable to discover him.

Half an hour had not elapsed, when a tumultuous noise was heard at the door; a corpse was carried in and placed before the eyes of the widow. Alas ! it was her son who had been killed, and whose murderer now lay concealed in her house. The poor mother broke forth into heartrending cries, and entering the hiding-place of the assassin,
"Miserable man," said she, "what had my son done to you that you should thus cruelly have murdered him?"

The guilty wretch, learning that he had killed his friend, cried aloud, tearing his hair, and wringing his hands in despair. Then throwing himself upon his knees, he asked pardon of his protectress, and besought her to deliver him up to the magistrate, that he might expiate so horrible a crime.

The disconsolate mother remembered at this moment that she was a Christian; the example of Jesus Christ praying for His executioners stimulated her to heroic action. She replied that provided he asked pardon of God and amended his life, she would let him go, and stay all legal proceedings against him.

This pardon was so agreeable to God, that He wished to give the generous mother a striking proof thereof. He permitted that the soul of her son should appear to her, resplendent with Glory, saying that he was about to enjoy Eternal Beatitude.

"God has shown mercy to me, dear mother," said the blessed soul, "because you showed mercy towards my assassin.

In consideration of the pardon which you granted, I have been delivered from Purgatory, where, without the assistance which you have afforded me, I should have had to undergo long years of intense suffering."

( Excerpt taken from the Book " Purgatory" by Rev. F. X. SCHOUPPE, S.J.)

REFLECTION:

The above true incident gives us God's testimony and reassurance of HIS Great Mercy— in forgiving the wrong doings of all  those who are bent on wickedness.

In today's times when incidents of such nature happen, we seek our way for justice and demand punishment for the crimes of perpetrators.

We rely more on the laws of the world than on God's Commandment of Love and Forgiveness and Mercy.

The Holy Scripture says:

19 Never try to get revenge: leave that, my dear friends, to the Retribution. As scripture says: Vengeance is mine—I will pay them back, the Lord promises. 20 And more: If your enemy is hungry, give him something to eat; if thirsty, something to drink. By this, you will be heaping red-hot coals on his head. 21 Do not be mastered by evil, but master evil with good. (Romans 12:19-21).

  In forgiving the perpetrators and all those who hurt us and ill treat us— God is more pleased to forgive our many sins and punishment due for our sins (in purgatory).

Christian life is for Love; Forgiveness and Mercy— not for retaliation and vengeance.

Built on Love and Forgiveness

Our life is built on Love and Forgiveness— in the reverence of God.
When you Love— you must also forgive.
It is only when we forgive that we begin to Love more¹ and grow increasingly more in the goodness of God.

Forgiveness is the most important act of Love.
An act of Forgiveness is more pleasing and agreeable to God than any sacrifice.

Only a life of Love and Forgiveness can clear all the mess of sins we commit daily— because Love and Forgiveness pleases God to show HIS Great Mercy and forgive our many sins.

1. Forgiveness is not an easy act of Love. So when you perform the difficult act of Forgiveness, you receive abundance of God's Grace— to love, even more.

Is your life heading towards God?

Each passing day brings us nearer towards the end of our life.

How are you progressing  towards your end?
Boldly; indifferently¹; irreverently; faithlessly— in defiance of God.

OR

Humbly; Reverently; Faithfully and Obediently— in the Love of God.

1. Most of the people (viz. professionals; career-oriented people etc. ) who live self-centered and self-indulgent life, couldn't care less for Faith in God and welfare of their soul.

Christian Love— Christian Life

Our life begins to live¹ when we begin to Love.
Make Love a ruling principle of your daily life.
Let all your deeds  proceed out of Love and Reverence for God.
For without God, there is no Love; without Love, there is no life— no living.

1. Christ gave us the Commandment of Love, to live our life. It is only through Love that our life comes to Perfection in Christ.
Our life will never come to Perfection in this mortal world— however, our life must continue to live on the path of Perfection— to enter into Eternal Life.

Be Patient with your weaknesses

One moment we confess our sins, the next we sin again.
One moment we resolve to be Obedient and Faithful to God, the next we falter again.
This is the weakness of human flesh.

Be Patient with your weaknesses.
Be Persevering in your Faith in God.
For Faith will gradually grow strong to overcome every kind of weakness and sin.

What is conquered through  Faith and Grace of God  is conquered forever.