Whosoever wounds another by offensive language, by wishing her evil, or reproaching her with her faults, should be mindful to make satisfaction as soon as possible; and she who was injured must pardon without many words.
They do a serious wrong who offend others by injurious language. St Paul says of them : ” Railers shall not possess the Kingdom of Heaven” (i Cor. vi. 10). And our Lord says in the Gospel : ” Whosoever shall say, thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire” (Matt. v. 22). As, then, they offend seriously, they ought to make their repentance earnestly, with all their heart, and in deep humility they should ask pardon of the person that has been injured.
And she who was injured must pardon without many words.
” That one who takes a long time to effect a reconciliation with his neighbour,” says St Isidore, ” also takes a long time to appease God in his own regard.” Vainly do we seek the friendship and
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favour of God, if we put off reconciliation with our neighbour. Now there are some that rely much upon their own merits and are slow to forgive those that have injured them. But it signifies little that they have not other sins on their conscience if they are not ready to grant forgiveness, for it is of itself a great fault to be slow in making reconciliation. We learn on the authority of Divine Truth itself that the servant who owed the ten thousand talents had the whole debt remitted when he gave expression to his sorrow. But when he refused to condone his fellow-servant that owed a hundred pence, he was forced to pay even what had been remitted.
In this example we see that if we do not forgive from our hearts the offences we suffer, there will be demanded of us too an account of those debts which we rejoice to think have been forgiven.
But if both have offended they must forgive each other. The reason of this is that you may be duly disposed for prayer, which, the more frequent it is, the more holy it should be.
We say daily to God : — ” Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us.” Now if we do not forgive them that trespass against us, we condemn ourselves by the very words of that prayer. We do our utmost to excite the displeasure of God against ourselves ; we draw down upon ourselves a curse rather than a blessing. In this way the prayer that should be a source of healing brings us harm, and the sins
that our prayer should lessen, are rather augmented. The earnest prayers of faithful souls are efficacious in satisfying for the daily faults and imperfections from which our life can hardly be free. For these faithful ones have the right to say : “Our Father who art in Heaven,” because by the second birth of water and the Holy Spirit they are truly the children of their heavenly Father.
Such a prayer, then, quite effaces the small defects of every - day occurrence. It likewise effaces the remains of those greater sins committed in the past, and from which the life of the faithful has been freed by repentance.
But as to obtain these favours we say with earnest meaning — ” forgive us our trespasses ” (of which there must always be some to be forgiven), so with equal intent should we say : ” as we forgive them that trespass against us.” Let our actions, then, correspond with our words. Let us forgive them that come to ask our pardon and the act will stand to our credit as the bestowal of an alms. There are various kinds of alms-deeds that contribute to obtain the remission of our sins ; but none is of greater efficacy than that by which we bestow from our hearts the forgiveness of the injuries done to us. It is not great generosity to be well disposed and kind towards those who have done us no wrong ; but it is a mark of great virtue and magnanimity to love our enemy and to wish well to them that would do us wrong. We shall act thus if we listen to Jesus Himself saying to
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us : ” Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that persecute you ” (Matt. v. 44).
This high degree of charity belongs to the perfect children of God, whereunto every faithful disciple of our Lord must tend, training the soul to this state by prayer and interior selfdiscipline. Nevertheless, this great exercise of love is not found in the majority of Christians. But still believing that we shall be heard when we say : ” Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us,” we shall without doubt receive the promised answer, provided that we who are not yet so advanced in virtue as to love our enemies will yet heartily forgive any one who has injured us and asks our pardon. For we ourselves expect forgiveness when we say : ” Forgive us, as we forgive them that trespass against us ” — that is, so forgive us that seek pardon from Thee, as we forgive them that ask it of us. And indeed if we consider the matter, he that asks pardon of the person he has offended, is no longer to be considered an enemy whom it is difficult to love, as he was when actually inflicting the injury. On the other hand, the person who is not willing to forgive a neighbour pleading for pardon and truly regretting his evil deed, must not consider that his own misdeeds are forgiven by God. Divine Truth does not contradict itself, and it says : ” If you will forgive men their offences, your heavenly Father will forgive you
your offences. But if you will not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive you your offences ” (Matt. vi. 14, 15).
But one who is often tempted to anger, and as speedily asks pardon of the one she acknowledges she has injured, is better than one not so soon moved to anger, and yet less inclined to ask pardon. She that will not forgive her sister, must not hope to obtain of God what she asks in her prayers.
Some are easily aroused to angry feelings and easily regain their calmness ; others are moved more slowly, but remain longer under the influence of the passion. Others, again, are in the worse condition of being easily stirred to anger and of being slow to overcome it. On the other hand, we find some that quickly resent, but just as quickly conquer all ill-natured feelings.
In these different classes it is clearly understood that the last approach more closely to the state of perfect tranquillity of mind, and that those of the third class surpass in evil those indicated in the second.
Let us, then, ponder how serious a fault is this anger whereby, losing our peace of mind, we spoil the image of heavenly peace within us. Through anger justice is lost, as it is written : ” The anger of man worketh not the justice of God ” (James i. 20). Besides, this anger deprives us of the advantages of our community life, as it is said : ” Be not a friend to an angry