VISIT THE IMPRISONED & FORGIVE OFFENSES WILLINGLY


VISIT THE IMPRISONED

In 1983 St. John Paul II visited the Mehmet Ali Agca, in prison, who shot him to death. In 2008 Priyanka Vadra Gandhi visited Nalini in vellore jail(south India) who is the only surviving assassin of her father Rajiv Gandhi. These people not only visited the prisoners but forgave them for what they did to them. Their visit made a difference in the lives of the criminals. The wild wolfs turned to be lambs. The persons who were living in dark caves realized that there is a light at the outside of the cave.

When I was in prison you visited me (Mt 25:36). We may feel who are we to visit prisoners? And will they listen to us? Will they change their attitude? But before asking these question let us analyse ourselves weather do we have a heart of kindness towards the prisoner? Will we be available for them to listen what they say? Are we ready to change our attitude towards prisoners? We were imprisoned in sins. We were in need of liberation. There came a redeemer, Jesus Christ, to set us free. If he had not come where we would be? We were in prison of sin, He visited us.

Visiting does not mean forgiving. It is an initiation to the process of forgiveness. Through the incarnation of Christ, the people of God were strengthened that they would receive salvation. Our visit strengthens the prisoner. It makes them feel that there is somebody to care for them. Let us not be Indifferent to them. Pope Francis in his New Year message for the current year said that Let us come over the indifference and win peace. After visiting the imprisoned it is not finished. Forgiveness is the culmination of visiting the imprisoned.

FORGIVE OFFENSES WILLINGLY

Jesus said to peter ‘Not seven times, but I tell you, seventy-seven times (Mt 18:22). Forgiveness does not mean forgetting, nor does it mean condoning or excusing offenses. Forgive means giving up one’s own pride for the sake of other. Through forgiveness we GIVE ourselves totally FOR the others. Though forgiveness can help repair a damaged relationship, it doesn’t obligate you to reconcile with the person who harmed you, or release them from legal accountability. Pope Francis Says, “Forgiveness is the essence of the love which can understand mistakes and mend them.” Forgiveness brings the forgiver peace of mind and frees him or her from corrosive anger.
Many people may be ready to forgive the offenses. But, do they really forgive them wholeheartedly and willingly. In the parable of prodigal son, the father forgave the sins of his younger son willingly. He did it not because he is his father that he had to be compassionate, but he did it out of his love for the son. Forgiveness that emanates from love sets the offender totally free. A person must have done something against our will. Once it is done, it is done. By reacting against him/her for that does not make any difference or change. Whatever the offenses they may be, the fact that had happened cannot not be deleted or ignored.


God forgave our sins willingly. We did not force him to come down and die for us. It is God who came to us willingly, freely without any compulsion. The role of the father in the prodigal son clearly explains God’s compassion for us. The father ran to his son (Lk 15:20). Our God is an ever-living God, He came down to us, He ran to us and said that He still loves us. The offenses that happen in our life should not be speed breakers for our relationships. Our life span is very short. Let us not waste our time in convicting the offenders but forgive them willingly to live the life with full of love and fun.

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