Daily Reflection Memorial of Saint Lucy, Virgin and Martyr

We are just over the halfway point of Advent; how are we doing?

A visiting priest at my parish likes to ask that question during his homilies in Advent. Since Advent is a season of preparation, we must constantly be self-reflecting and ensuring we are taking steps to reach our spiritual goals. Have I been praying every day? Are my current behaviors leading me to Heaven? Am I giving enough to others to account for the love God gives me?

The decisions we make to grow closer to God on our Advent journeys are personal and unique, as we are all at different stages in our relationships with God. However, one action that is essential to take before our life on Earth ends, according to the words of Jesus Himself, is forgiveness. He says in Matthew 6:14, “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” The saints, who are human models of holiness, also insisted before their deaths that we forgive. Pope St. John Paul II said, “We all need to be forgiven by others, so we must all be ready to forgive.”

Forgiveness is one of the hardest acts to do, as relationships are complex and those who hurt us are often repeat offenders. People write whole memoirs about their struggle to forgive. But God is here to completely take on the burden of this difficulty. Sometimes, we fear if we forgive, we’re letting the offender “get away with it” or “walk all over us.” But God is the “Judge of all the earth” (Genesis 18:25), meaning He possesses the ultimate power of judging someone’s actions. Therefore, we don’t have to judge people. God will. In fact, he encourages us to hand over this burden to Him.

In our first reading today, God says through Isaiah,

“If you would hearken to my commandments,

your prosperity would be like a river,

and your vindication like the waves of the sea.”

In other words, He says to forgive others as Jesus commanded, and we will prosper.

So, let’s add another reflection question for thought as we pass the halfway mark of Advent.

Is there anybody I need to forgive?