(photo: Alex Knight, 2016) In important ways, the world we see is a reflection of ourselves. What we see is a reflection of what we are looking for, what has become important to us, what we choose to pay attention to, as well as how we think and feel about our prior experiences of the … Continue reading Forgiveness: Heal your worldview, heal yourself!
thoughts
Our Own Anger is Still Not Good for Us
(art: Church of St. Nicetas, Macedonia, 14th cent.) Whenever the Gospel accounts of Jesus driving out the money changers from the temple come up in the Liturgy of the Word, I often see an article or hear someone asserting that the Gospel account is proof that anger can be righteous and even a virtue. It … Continue reading Our Own Anger is Still Not Good for Us
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?
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
Mercy Makes Forgiveness
(photo: Pope Leo XIV and author Diane Foley, Vatican Media, 2025) I have a theory: Learning from experience is fundamentally human. We learn from our experiences, and what we learn changes the way we think, feel, and act -- sometimes a little, but sometimes in ways that transform us. When we are in community with … Continue reading Mercy Makes Forgiveness
Forgiving Makes More Forgiveness
(photo: Prairie Deer Mouse by Tom Delaney, Sherburne County, Minnesota, 2025) An important part of my day is the time I spend in our stable, hay shed, and on our pastures. Regularly doing some outdoor work caring for animals and little ecosystems like pastures, keeps gives me a daily connection to nature and the proverbial … Continue reading Forgiving Makes More Forgiveness
Live and Forgive 