Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ (Ephesians 4:32).
It’s hard to forgive. Sometimes it is really hard.
We hold that God forgives us our sins. Jesus mentions forgiveness in the prayer He taught us. If we don’t forgive, we will not be forgiven. Jesus is no negotiating, no compromising. Jesus doesn’t say that we are to forgive other people’s sins against us, provided they are not too awful. No, what he teaches is that we are to forgive them all, however rotten, however cruel, however personal and however often they are repeated.
If we want to be forgiven, then we must forgive.
Our Blessed Lord shows us what is involved with forgiving our neighbor. Even in the midst of unutterable sufferings on the cross, Jesus bids His Father to forgive those who condemned Him and to forgive those who nailed Him to the rough wood.
Christ Jesus expects us to imitate Him in all things, especially forgiving those who wrong us. Resist temptations to brood and sulk when wronged, however rotten the wrong. This only fires resentment which fuels hatred and gives way to vengeance.
When all is said and done to us, the greatest injury and offence that we can suffer this side of heaven is nothing as compared to what God has pardoned us.
