Forgiveness is Seeing Fraternity with Love of Christ

/ Tom Delaney, O.F.S.

(art: Siblings, Paul Klee, 1930)

The REACH Forgiveness Process developed by Everett Worthington and taught through Live and Forgive is a research-validated individual level approach to forgiveness. A critical component of the REACH process is having the forgiving person cultivate empathy for the person they are forgiving based on their basic human sameness. The idea is that our situations change and come to be different, and our actions reflect these changes and differences in situations, but our basic humanity, our sameness with each other in that basic humanity, and our relatedness to each other in that sameness, never changes.

One term for the relatedness we have with each other in terms of our shared basic humanity is “fraternity.” In his General Audience and catechesis of November 12, entitled Jesus Christ Our Hope, Pope Leo XIV offered several insights about fraternity – our brotherhood and sisterhood with each other – that can help us see basic human sameness, see our relatedness, and find empathy as part of the forgiveness process. Here is my paraphrased list of those points made by Pope Leo:

  • The word “fraternity” has very ancient origins, and means to care for, to have at heart, to support and sustain.
  • Belief in the death and resurrection of Christ and consequently living paschal spirituality will fill our life with hope and helps us to love and grow in fraternity with each other.
  • Our humanity is best fulfilled when we exist and live together.
  • Saint Francis of Assisi addressed everyone as omnes fratres (all brothers and sisters) — an inclusive way of seeing all human beings on the same level, with:
    • a common destiny of dignity;
    • dialogue;
    • welcome; and
    • salvation.
  • The idea and belief in universal fraternity is an essential feature of Christianity, and the proclamation of the Good News for the salvation of all.
  • Christian fraternity is based on Jesus’ commandment, that we love one another and devote our lives with others, as children of the one Father and true brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ.
  • Jesus Himself gives to us: “Love one another as I have loved you” (see John 15:12).
  • “The fraternity given by Christ, who died and rose again, frees us from the negative logic of selfishness, division and arrogance, and restores to us our original vocation, in the name of a love and a hope that are renewed every day.”
  • “The Risen One has shown us the way to journey with Him, to feel and to be ‘brothers and sisters all.'”

Please share these words with someone who needs them today.

This text is an original work of its author Tom Delaney and was entirely composed without the use of artificial intelligence (AI).

If your parish or faith community is seeking a deeper experience of forgiveness, healing, mercy, and spiritual renewal, Live and Forgive is here to help. To begin the conversation, email Live and Forgive presenter and facilitator Tom Delaney at tom@liveandforgive.com — he will be glad to connect with you for a conversation. Please type in your email and click “Subscribe” below to stay connected and get Live and Forgive articles delivered to you.

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