by: Bernard A. Rochford
Forgiveness Prayer
During this Lenten season let us remember the greatest act of forgiveness that was offered up for us by Jesus' death on the cross. Jesus, teach us by the example You set through Your death on the cross.
We need to learn how to forgive. It is said that the virtue of forgiveness is one of the hardest virtues to learn. When others hurt us it is difficult to muster the courage to forgive. It is through your grace, Lord that we gain the courage to forgive. It is then that we learn the healing power of forgiveness. Forgiveness is a gift we give ourselves, challenging us to believe that there is a better future and giving us the inner confidence to know that we will survive pain and suffering brought on by others harmful words or actions.
Help us to understand that we are all imperfect beings and as such we are all in need of forgiveness. By allowing us to see our own imperfections perhaps we can find a way through your grace Lord to forgive others. We must also learn to accept another's forgiveness. When we wrong someone we can find peace and healing in their forgiving of us. Open our hearts to accept forgiveness. As Mother Theresa said, "If we really want to love, we must learn how to forgive".
We want to thank Jesus for allowing us to gather today in his name. We thank Him for the food that has been provided and bless those that have prepared and served the meal. Open our minds and hearts to the message of today's speaker and let us carry that message to others throughout the days to come as we prepare for your resurrection on Easter morning.
In Jesus name, Amen.