NEGATIVITY, FORGIVENESS, AND RESISTING EVIL
God our Father,
may no-one’s negative actions
ever overpower my determination
to choose to live in a positive way.
I know that to forgive someone
can be far from being an easy option,
and I know that forgiveness
isn’t somehow pretending
that something wrong hasn’t happened.
Instead it is being generous, Father
- as your Son showed in his dying words - in being willing to release the other person from what natural justice demands should be ‘punishment’ for wrong-doing.
Isn’t this, Father, what is meant by “your mercy” and what we are to do
in being called to “be merciful” ourselves? Matt 5:7
For what I have done wrong, Father,
forgive me to the extent that I am generous and gracious in forgiving -
or truly hoping to forgive - those who have done wrong to me. Lk 11:4
Empower me to break the cycle of any hatred, resentment or bitterness, always resisting evil Rom 12:21 and conquering it with goodness. Bring your healing and peace and wholeness
into the lives of those I pray for, and into mine. Nicholas Henderson,SJ
MAKING ROOM
O God,
make the door of this house
wide enough to receive all who need human love and fellowship,
and a heavenly Father’s care;
narrow enough to shut out
all envy, pride and hate.
Make its threshold smooth enough
to be no stumbling-block to children,
or to straying feet,
but rugged enough
to turn back the tempter’s power:
make it a gateway
to thine eternal kingdom.
Bishop Thomas Ken (1637-1711)
Comings and goings
In our coming and going,
guide us,
in our living and our being,
protect us,
in our seeing and our hearing,
enrich us,
in our thinking and our speaking,
inspire us,
in our arriving and our departing,
preserve us.
David Adam.
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