Today’s Gospel offers a simple, yet deeply challenging truth. Jesus tells us,
“If you forgive others their wrongs, your Father in heaven will also forgive yours. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father forgive you.”
Forgiveness is not optional in the Christian life—it is essential. It is the heart of the Our Father, the prayer we repeat often, but perhaps too easily. And yet, how hard it is to live those words: “as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
Just a few days ago, the world was stunned by news of the tragic airline crash in India. So many lives lost in a matter of seconds. Families shattered. Dreams broken. It reminded us of something we often forget in the routine of life: we are fragile. Life is not guaranteed. The people we live with, eat with, even argue with—they can be gone in an instant.
Letting Go of Anger
And so, we must ask ourselves: Why do we cling so tightly to anger? To grudges? To pride? In the face of death and disaster, doesn’t it seem senseless to hold onto past hurts?
There’s a story told after the Spanish Civil War. A priest, once imprisoned in a labor camp, was celebrating Mass. As he came to the words of the Lord’s Prayer—“forgive us our trespasses”—he fell silent. He struggled to say the next words: “as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
His silence was the homily. He couldn't lie before God. But finally, with God’s grace, he whispered the words—and forgave.
It is not easy. Forgiveness is not forgetting pain. It is choosing to break the cycle of hurt, trusting that God will heal what we cannot.
Forgive Today and Every Day
In family life, wounds are often small—but frequent. Words spoken in frustration. Disappointments. Unmet expectations. Left unhealed, they become walls. But the family is also the first school of mercy. Parents forgiving children. Spouses forgiving each other. Children learning to say, “I’m sorry,” and mean it.
As one writer said, “The humbler, the easier; the prouder, the more difficult.” So perhaps the path to forgiveness begins not with the other person, but with our own heart. Our humility.
Let us turn to Our Lady, Mother of Mercy, who stood at the foot of the Cross and forgave even those who crucified her Son. May she teach our families how to forgive, how to love beyond pain, and how to live without regrets.
In honor of those who died in the airline crash… For the people in your life you haven’t spoken to… For the wounds in your marriage or family that remain unhealed…
Forgive today. Let go. Love while you still can. Because in the end, only love remains.
- Today’s Readings
- Father Pinto's inspirational homily was recorded live during Mass at the Father Peyton Center this morning. You can view the Mass (and the Rosary at the 30-minute mark) on the Family Rosary YouTube page.
- To join the Rosary and Mass Livestream, visit the Family Rosary YouTube or Facebook page at 11:30 a.m. Eastern, Monday – Friday. Consider inviting others to join too! (*If you are not a member of Facebook and a signup window appears, simply select the X at the top of the pop-up message and continue to the livestream.)
.jpg "Father Pinto Paul, C.S.C.")