FORGIVENESS FOR THOUGHTS, WORDS AND DEEDS
08/20/2017
FORGIVENESS FOR THOUGHTS, WORDS AND DEEDS
Fr. Al Demos, August 20, 2017
A fellow priest once related this story to me.
One of his parishioners wanted to have a son more than anything else in the world. His first child was a girl and he was disappointed. His second child was a girl and he was upset. His third child was a girl and he was so enraged that he cursed the day and cried out to God, “You know that I wanted a son and You gave me three girls. It would be better if you had not given them to me!”
Within a year, his wife was pregnant again; but in that time his baby girl died from Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), the first daughter was killed by a car, and the second daughter died from pneumonia. Of course he was deeply saddened to lose all three children. His fourth child was just what he had asked for – a son! Their fifth child was also a son.
But now the man deeply regretted that he had cursed that day and so he asked God to give him a daughter. Their sixth child was a boy. His heart sank. How he lamented his careless words. He begged God to forgive him and if they were to have another child that God would grant that they have a daughter. When his oldest son was nine years old, the wife became pregnant again. The man was sure God heard his prayer and looked forward to the birth of his long awaited daughter.
His seventh child was born…a healthy robust boy! The man wailed and wept. He immediately went to the Priest and told his story, asking for guidance and forgiveness for his rash, irresponsible curse. Oh, how he lamented that he had said those horrendous words regarding his precious three daughters. The weight of his guilt was unbearable. God heard what he said and gave him four sons, but no daughters.
The man sought forgiveness, knowing that he would carry this burden for the rest of his life. The priest prayed with him, guiding him to be devoted to his four sons and ever mindfully to pray for them, but most especially to pray for the precious souls of his beloved daughters.
This devastating, heart-breaking story is profoundly sad. But it can be helpful to us spiritually if we just stop for a moment and consider the things that may still be weighing on our souls…those mean improper thoughts, those harsh words, those sinful actions. When we confess our sins, we leave them at Golgotha, where Christ paid for them with His Sacred Blood. We are not allowed to pick them up and take them with us because we gave them over to our Lord! We walk away as if a newly baptized child.
But, even if we have confessed our sins and been forgiven, the memory lingers. And so it should, as a reminder that we took a detour on our road in life to Christ; and that to remain on that road, we need to do our best to think, speak and act in a truly Christian manner as we strive to live according to God’s Divine Will.
Scars are silent reminders of a past hurt. Some are seen on our body. But only God and you see the scars rooted on your soul. What is always essential in seeking forgiveness is to know that healing truly does come from God and from others, and that spiritual wellness can once more be achieved through the loving mercy, compassion, love and forgiveness of Almighty God.
Spiritual scars can be a ‘lesson learned’ that are also constant reminders of the need for forgiveness and healing that each and every one of us should constantly seek as we walk in the Way of the Lord!