Our life is one hell of a roller coaster ride filled with moments of joy, happiness, anger and blame-game. While the times of joy and happiness are looked upon with fondness, there opposites remain a black mark on our psyches and leave behind a scar. In human life, these black marks and these broken links are there to be fixed. The strengthening of such broken relationships can happen through mutual forgiveness and sharing. Therefore in patching up a bond, both sides have equal responsibility to show the olive branches. We have witnessed many instances in which a middle man reconnects the two sides which have broken away from communion.
God loves and likes to forgive. The forgiving Father mercifully invites His children, separated through sins, to renew the relationship. He is the epicentre of forgiveness and mercifulness. Pope Francis explains it in the right manner. “And, what is it that ‘God likes most?”’ Forgiving his children, having mercy on them, in order that they may, in their turn, forgive their brothers and sisters, shining as torches of God’s mercy in the world.”
The Universal Church has inaugurated the Year of Mercy, a doorway from sin to grace. Pope Francis and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, walking through the Holy Door of Saint Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, has invited the children of God to experience a spiritual renewal. It is the re-entrance to God’s grace by a pilgrimage of repentance and prayer by accomplishing an indulgence. Pope Francis teaches, “God’s joy is forgiving; God’s being is mercy”. This is to remind us that personal human participation is necessary for the fullness of salvation.
At the end of the day the question remains: As His children, are we ready and willing to open our hearts to the love, joy, forgiveness and mercy of our Father? Are we ready to let go of all the sourness and contempt for our neighbours that we keep in our hearts? Are we, as His faithful servants ready to change the things that we can change and gracefully accept the things that we cannot? The answer lies within us. All we have to do is take the first step in the right direction. The rest will follow.
