Radical Forgiveness

As I read this article about Radical Forgiveness, I respected the Pope for forgiving his would be assassin. If someone had hurt my family in any way, I do not know if I would have the strength to forgive. It is hard to imagine that he had the strength and courage to do that. However, Pope John Paul taught us through a huge impact that we are called to be good Catholics. Our mission is to try to move on pass the violence and hatred and forgive those who need our prayers. Immaculee’s story is similar to Pope John Paul’s because she had the power to forgive the people who killed her family. She did not have hatred nor hold a grudge toward the Hutus, but felt pity and asked God to pray for them and help them realize that what they were doing was wrong. In both scenarios, people were astounded that they had the courage to forgive after the awful crimes that these people had committed. God teaches us that in order to be good and faithful Catholics, we need to love and forgive. Although it may be very difficult, we need to understand that without it, there will never be justifiable peace.

Messy?

It is sad to think that there is so much violence in the word and it might seem like there is not a lot that we can do. When I hear a news story on TV or read an article in the paper, I am sympathetic toward the people who have been treated unfairly. However, although I am bothered and annoyed by the situation, it is hard to relate. However, when my friend tells me a personal story of hers, I feel as though I can relate to it. I think that the Gospel messages call us to respond by doing anything we can to help. I believe that it is our mission to reach out and protest against the injustices in the world. Although it can be hard, we can respond by just saying a prayers and holding special intentions in our heart. According to the article, we need to try to sensitize to the seriousness of the situations by praying. The author says that praying will not only acknowledge current-day suffering, but also makes it more personal. I think that if we have an active participation in knowing what goes on outside our reality, people can help us understand the seriousness of the injustices and try to participate in their community. It is our job to help people understand that although these problems might not impact our life, it is our job as Catholics to reach out and do everything we can to solve these horrendous situations