“The reality is that when human beings feel really hurt, it is not easy to forgive, that is, to transit from the theory of forgiveness to the praxis of forgiveness,” he said, adding, “Someone will tell you, ‘I have forgiven, but I will never forget,’ or ‘I have buried the hatchet, but I marked the spot’.”
He continued, “Similarly, in the ‘Our Father,’ we pray that God’s will be done, but when challenges weigh down so much on us, we wonder what has become of God and run from pillar to post looking for remedies that are not of God.”
Archbishop Kaigama underscored the need to forgive at all times saying, “One must forgive as many times as one is hurt. Stop counting. The practice of retributive justice in the Old Testament of “an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth” (Ex. 21:24) is not valid for the good follower of Christ.”
Reflecting on Sunday’s Second Reading, St. Paul to the Romans, the Archbishop said, “Pray for and forgive our offenders whether living or dead as St. Paul tells us that, a Christian living or dead belongs to Christ.”
“We should pray for the grace to forgive no matter how hurt or bitter we may feel,” the Local Ordinary of Abuja reiterated and encouraged the people of God to frequent the Sacrament of Reconciliation for it is “a powerful channel of forgiveness.”
(Story continues below)
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Magdalene Kahiu is a Kenyan journalist with passion in Church communication. She holds a Degree in Social Communications from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). Currently, she works as a journalist for ACI Africa.