2840 Now - and this is daunting -
this outpouring of mercy cannot penetrate our
hearts as long as we have not forgiven those who
have trespassed against us. Love, like the Body
of Christ, is indivisible; we cannot love the
God we cannot see if we do not love the brother
or sister we do see. In refusing to forgive our
brothers and sisters, our hearts are closed and
their hardness makes them impervious to the
Father's merciful love; but in confessing our
sins, our hearts are opened to his grace.
. . . as we forgive those who trespass against
us
2842 This "as" is not unique in
Jesus' teaching: "You, therefore, must be
perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect";
"Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful";
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love
one another, even as I have loved you, that you
also love one another." It is impossible to keep
the Lord's commandment by imitating the divine
model from outside; there has to be a vital
participation, coming from the depths of the
heart, in the holiness and the mercy and the
love of our God. Only the Spirit by whom we live
can make "ours" the same mind that was in Christ
Jesus. Then the unity of forgiveness becomes
possible and we find ourselves "forgiving one
another, as God in Christ forgave" us.
2843 Thus the Lord's words on
forgiveness, the love that loves to the end,
become a living reality. The parable of the
merciless servant, which crowns the Lord's
teaching on ecclesial communion, ends with these
words: "So also my heavenly Father will do to
every one of you, if you do not forgive your
brother from your heart." It is there, in fact,
"in the depths of the heart," that everything is
bound and loosed. It is not in our power not to
feel or to forget an offense; but the heart that
offers itself to the Holy Spirit turns injury
into compassion and purifies the memory in
transforming the hurt into intercession.
2844 Christian prayer extends to
the forgiveness of enemies, transfiguring the
disciple by configuring him to his Master.
Forgiveness is a high-point of Christian prayer;
only hearts attuned to God's compassion can
receive the gift of prayer. Forgiveness also
bears witness that, in our world, love is
stronger than sin. The martyrs of yesterday and
today bear this witness to Jesus. Forgiveness is
the fundamental condition of the reconciliation
of the children of God with their Father and of
men with one another.
