The grace to forgive

		Living the Scriptures  with St. Paul University  Catholic Center  Fr. David Wanish

On a recent trip to Nicaragua, I heard an elderly woman, whose son had died in fighting, describe her community experience during the Sandinista-Contra war. "We learned to be strong. We learned to take care of ourselves."

I was surprised when she added, "We learned to forgive." She paused, "Please let me share a story."

Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (Feb. 22, 2004) 1 Sm 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23 Ps 103:1-2, 3-4, 8, 10, 12-13 1 Cor 15:45-49 Lk 6:27-38

She pointed across a valley. "That hill, by those pines, was an enemy encampment. After the battle, we arrived there to find that the only ones left alive were wounded enemy soldiers. We cared for them as we would have cared for our own. We nursed them back to health. We learned to forgive."

I was awed by this act of mercy. I think most people would have treated the enemy very differently. I wonder - how did she find the grace to forgive?

In today's reading, David and Abishai, with great stealth, entered the encampment of Saul and his men while they slept. Abishai whispered to David that God had delivered the enemy into their hands. "Let me nail him to the ground with one thrust!"

But David said, "Do not harm him." Instead, they took Saul's weapon and proceeded to the opposite hilltop. Looking back, David set down the spear and repeated that he would not harm the Lord's anointed.

When I've been hurt by another, how can I disarm my anger and move to a place where I can look back, see differently, and forgive? David realized that Saul, besides being his enemy, was also the Lord's anointed. I often find it helpful to recall that, although I have been hurt by another, God has blessed that person with good qualities.

	Reflection questions • Do I have a special memory of someone forgiving me? • Is God calling me to forgive someone else?

Especially powerful to me are the examples of those who have forgiven me when I expected them to bear resentment for something I had said or done. They give me back my life.

I pray that I can be like them. Then I, too, can learn to forgive.

Fr. David Wanish is parochial vicar of St. Paul University Catholic Center at UW-Madison.

St. Paul's Web site is www.stpaulscc.org

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