Daily Thoughts - 06/13/2013

Daily Thought: I ran across a quote by David Benner the author of Healing Emotional Wounds, “Forgiveness…is letting go – letting go of the anger, letting go of the right to retaliate, and letting go of the right to savour any of the emotional consequences of the hurt." I have always reflected with people who were struggling with forgiveness that forgiveness is about letting go. It is about moving beyond the hurt. Yet often people think that forgiveness means forgetting.

The wisdom in Brenner’s reflection is that he is not saying that we forget that we let go of the experience itself but that we let go of the human effects of being hurt that can often paralyze us. Perhaps said another way we need to let go so we can get beyond being a victim.

I think this is what Jesus is getting at in the God today (Matthew 5:20-26). In order for the commandment of love, which we reflected on yesterday, to fully be part of our life we have to let go of the anger, retaliation and the victimization that being hurt can often bring about.

Jesus talks about taking the high road. Jesus speaks about being the bigger person. Jesus teaches us the importance and power of love. However, there is one thing we always need to remember none of this is easy and sometimes taking the high road, being the bigger person, living by love can open us up to be hurt once again. It can also mean being rejected.  The commandment of love requires that we be forgiving people, to seek forgiveness and to offer forgiveness whether it is successful or not.

So we pray for the strength and the grace to be people willing to seek forgiveness and be forgiving!

Daily Prayer: Loving God, you know the ways that we treat people that we do not like. You know that we judge them, we avoid them, we gossip about them, we hassle them. However wanting to be your people of faith, your people of love, we do not want to be this way, to treat people this way anymore. So we ask you for the grace and strength to learn how to be forgiving people today and always. We want to learn how to forgive and also how to ask for forgiveness when we struggle and fail. Help us God to be a forgiving people just as you are forgiving! We pray this today and always the Jesus Christ, your Son and our friend. Amen!

Runner’s Thought: Running can be so symbolic of life and faith. In running like in life we have to drive ourselves to overcome the obstacles. At times we feel that we just cannot do it. But then we find an inner strength, an inner presence and realize that we are capable of so much more than we thought. And like in faith when we run we often realize that we are not alone. That God runs with us!

Happy Thursday everyone! We are back to the wet weather here in Pelham. It seems we are only capable of enjoying a day or two of the sun before find ourselves in the midst cool, gray, wetness! I hope things are brighter where you are today. If not join me in looking for and bringing the brightness of joy and hope into life in whatever way we can. Even if it means we just smile a little more!

Have a great day everyone and may God’s blessings and love be upon you, wherever you go, whatever you do and upon whomever you meet! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul