how many times do we say "Ok, I forgive you", but perversely we imprison someone in a feeling of revenge until he pays for everything he did, sitting at the table and waiting, patiently, for banquet of the dish that is eaten cold.
Whenever we stop to reflect on forgiveness - this issue that comes back and mediates hits our door to "disturb" our ears - we constrict ourselves, because eventually we have an unresolved slope with him, be it to forgive or to feel forgiven by and others. Invariably, such a theme is always remembered with particular insistence because we need it to live free and liberal.
Yes, you have to be liberal with everyone, including yourself. Because when you are liberal, all the ways of forgiveness are opened and consequently prisons also, those that imprison the other and those that imprison us. Inner freedom depends on a free decision to release the other from all dependence on his forgiveness to be free as when God created him, and that will always include ourselves.
We are trapped by ourselves whenever we impede the free passage of God's mercy within us, chaining our own feet and hands, which prevents us from walking freely and extending our hands to those who need them. We lost a lot with that and the others, who have nothing to do, too.
We happen to see each other in a derogatory way, which prevents us from feeling loved by others, not because they see us in a derogatory way, but because we deliberately prevent the other from reaching, even if he wants and even tries. This way of seeing us as demeaning of the love of man -which comes from the love of God- is often linked to the denial of a forgiveness that we already conquered from God for free and we will only change this look when we accept forgiveness, recognizing ourselves as imperfect loved by God and fulfilled by Him with his love of the cross.
This love that takes our pains and turns them into love. And it is, so many times, the pain the precursor of this so desired love! Therefore, let us not be afraid of feeling pain, nor of the suffering that generates it, because the miracle is there. But neither do we dig sufferings or pain generated by self-pity, because if they are born of attempts founded on vitimalism, they have no potential to generate viable fruits. And Jesus wants so soon to taste the fruits he expects for having planted us in his vineyard.
And, in the parable of the ruthless servant, He relates that the repentant and newly forgiven employee did not use mercy on his fellow debtor. Soon he, who had been saved from such a great sorrow that would restrict not only his freedom, but that of his relatives as well, was not able to forgive a debt of barely a hundred coins! And how many times do we imprison our companions for lack of forgiveness?
