“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”
— Epistle to the Galatians 2:20
I remember the week before I was confirmed into the Catholic faith. I went to confession because what weighed heavily upon my heart was the memory of my sins — the people I had hurt, the moments when my words or actions had led others astray.
Yet in that sacrament I encountered something greater than my failures. Understanding that I was forgiven through the mercy won for us by the blood of Jesus allowed me to leave the sins of the past behind as I stepped into a kind of rebirth. I walked out feeling that something within me had been set free.
The words of Saint Paul have remained engraved upon my heart:
Every time I receive the Eucharist and the sacred host rests upon my tongue, this verse quietly returns to me. It becomes an affirmation within my soul — a reminder that my life is now meant to be lived in Christ.
This Lent, however, another dimension of the Christian journey presses more deeply upon my heart: forgiveness.
Not forgiveness for my sins alone — but forgiveness for those who have hurt me.
It is easy to say the words, “I forgive.”
But the actual process of forgiveness can be painfully slow. Hurt, anger, and disappointment often remain long after the decision to forgive has been made.
The heart does not always heal as quickly as the will decides.
Knowing myself, I realize that some relationships may never return to what they once were. I can forgive, yet the trust that once existed may no longer be the same. Even so, forgiveness is not about restoring everything to its former shape; sometimes it is simply about releasing the burden from one’s own soul.
In truth, the journey of forgiveness is one that requires the quiet work of the Holy Spirit within us.
It is a gradual surrender — allowing grace to soften what bitterness tries to harden.
Our Lord himself reminds us:
“Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
— Gospel of Matthew 6:12
And elsewhere:
“Forgive seventy times seven.”
— Gospel of Matthew 18:22
To hold onto anger too tightly can slowly darken the heart. Yet letting go is not easy. It is a discipline of the soul.
So tonight I bring this struggle to Christ.
Jesus, I can only fix my eyes on You.
Deliver my heart from the weight it carries.
Let Your mercy flow through the wounds that still remain.
Pour Your heavenly peace over my soul.
Mold me gently into the servant You created me to be.
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”
— Psalm 51 10
Amen.
Feel free to download this wallpaper for your phone as a small reminder that the quiet work of forgiveness is often where God does His deepest work within us.
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
— Epistle to the Ephesians 4:32 ✨
God Bless 🙏💕
Be Inspired! 
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