Devotion of the day: the power of forgiveness

Condition of forgiveness. The Lord wanted to put in your power, the judgment that will have to be made of you, says Chrysostom. The same measure used with others will serve you; whoever has a merciless heart will suffer judgment without mercy; whoever does not have charity with his neighbor does not hope for it from God; - are all sentences of the Gospel. You know that if you do not forgive, you will not be forgiven; yet, how many hatred, how many aversions and coldnesses you have for your neighbor!

Diversity of debts. Are not our debts to God compared to the debts we can forgive our neighbors ten thousand talents compared to a hundred coins, as the parable says? God forgives immediately; and you do it with so much difficulty! God does it with pleasure, and you with so much repugnance! God does it with such liberality that he cancels our iniquities; and you with such narrowness that you always think about it, and barely stop you!

Either forgive or lie. Keeping the hatred, the anger, the animosity, the anger in the heart, why dare the Pater say? You are not afraid that the devil will throw a shameful one in your face: Are you lying? Do you want forgiveness, and you haven't given it for so many months? Do you not pronounce your condemnation of not deserving forgiveness? - Would it therefore be better not to say the Pater anymore? Heaven beware of it: ask, with it, the strength to change the heart soon. Do not let the sun go down on your anger. says St. Paul.

PRACTICE. - If you feel any grudge today and always, repress it; recite three Pater for your enemies.