(art: Saint Clare of Assisi) In September I wrote an article entitled The Way to Forgiveness: Quiet and Meditation that explained how quiet meditation can help move you mentally and spiritually to the place you need to be in order for you to be ready to engage with forgiveness. Our Franciscan tradition includes exemplars of meditation … Continue reading Meditation Nurtures Mind, Body, and Spirit for Forgiveness
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Love & Forgiveness: Research-Informed Action is the Way Forward
Dr. Tyler VanderWeele, the director of the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University, recently published an article in Psychology Today, which was also shared as a research update from the Human Flourishing Program. Both the article and the research update recapitulate main points of the recent research by VanderWeele and Lee (2025) on the possibilities … Continue reading Love & Forgiveness: Research-Informed Action is the Way Forward
Update: Pope Leo XIV Announces Worldwide November Prayer Intention for Suicide Prevention
Since the publication of my November 3rd article Is there divine forgiveness for suicide? here on Live and Forgive, Pope Leo XIV set a worldwide intention of prayer for the Catholic Church in this month of November (2025) for the prevention of suicide. The announcement includes a video that you can view: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcME5I05LOg&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vaticannews.va%2F&embeds_referring_origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vaticannews.va&source_ve_path=OTY3MTQ Please share these … Continue reading Update: Pope Leo XIV Announces Worldwide November Prayer Intention for Suicide Prevention
Acceptance is Engagement with Reality of Forgiveness
(art: God Answering Job from the Whirlwind, William Blake, 1805 to 1806) Acceptance of a hurtful event or transgression is so important for forgiveness that it can be truly be said that forgiveness is not possible without acceptance. In the forgiveness process, acceptance in terms of "yes, this is what really happened," is involved in … Continue reading Acceptance is Engagement with Reality of Forgiveness
Middle East Bishop Lives Forgiveness as Path to Peace
(photo: Sidon, Lebanon, Vyacheslav Argenberg, 2008) Catholic Maronite Bishop Mounir Khairallah of Batrun (Lebanon) has been a vocal advocate for peace in the Middle East, as well as for interpersonal forgiveness. He was recently interviewed by Paulina Guzik for OSV News, and shared his personal story of forgiveness and his thoughts on the relationship of … Continue reading Middle East Bishop Lives Forgiveness as Path to Peace
Is there divine forgiveness for suicide?
One of the greatest tragedies and griefs that a person may experience in their lifetime is the death of a loved one when they take their own life. The despair of the loved one that first led them to taking their own life doesn't stop there, but rather extends its devastation to encircle the living … Continue reading Is there divine forgiveness for suicide?
Perfectionism Works Better with Self-Forgiveness
(photo: Al Shahed Press, 2025) My spiritual director was a priest in his elder years who had "seen it all, done it all." During one of our meetings, he commented, "I have heard confessions - thousands of them, maybe more, who knows how many? In all of that time what I saw was that I … Continue reading Perfectionism Works Better with Self-Forgiveness
Your Empathy Makes Your Forgiveness
(photo: Čeština, Mikhail Gorbunov, 2012) There are two scientifically validated forgiveness processes, and empathy of the forgiver toward the person being forgiven is the key in both of them. One forgiveness process is the REACH Forgiveness Process developed by Everett Worthington, and the other is Guideposts for Forgiving developed by Robert Enright. In both processes, … Continue reading Your Empathy Makes Your Forgiveness
Recognizing Hidden Anger is Step #1 in Forgiveness
(art: Hope, George Frederick Watts, 1886) Anger is a normal and temporarily helpful response to a hurtful event. As an emotion, anger can help us summon the energy to protect ourselves in a situation, or to hastily remove ourselves from a situation even if it means needing a burst of exertion to get past barriers. … Continue reading Recognizing Hidden Anger is Step #1 in Forgiveness
Forgiveness Multiplies Forgiveness
(photo: Tom Delaney, Sherburne County, Minnesota, 2025) There is a prodigious deer population here in our little corner of the oak savanna in Central Minnesota, maybe because of our proximity to Dunes State Forest and Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge. It seems that they appreciate the network of walking trails through the woods and frequently use … Continue reading Forgiveness Multiplies Forgiveness
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