The Bridge to Forgiveness

Photo by Kaique Rocha

I’m sure we’re all super jazzed about our plans for 2025, bursting with New Year’s resolutions and all that good stuff. Fresh starts are the best!

Having a blog post about forgiveness might seem totally out of left field, but the backstory is simple. We’re in the Jubilee of Hope, a time of incredible grace for the Church. And hope isn’t just about looking forward in faith; it’s also about repairing what’s broken so we can keep moving forward.

Relationships are awesome but, let’s be real, they’re messy too. We love, but we also hurt each other. That’s the bittersweet truth of love—it takes effort. It’s not all rainbows and butterflies, but it is worth it! This whole reflection on forgiveness and fresh starts kicked off when I stumbled across this video about two months ago, and I found it so compelling. Seriously, give it a shot—it’s well worth the watch.

Forgiveness is a funny old thing. You can sail through life totally ignoring the fact that you’ve “sidelined” some people along the way. Fr. Miriam, in her chat with Fr. Mike Schmitz (see video below), mentions a guy she met after a talk who flat-out said he didn’t need to learn how to forgive because he just avoids the people he doesn’t like. Sound familiar? I’m betting there are plenty of people out there who do the same.

But as a Christian, that kind of mindset hardens your heart to God’s grace. If you’re harsh with others, you end up building this shell around your heart that makes it hard for grace to grow in your soul. Sure, God can overcome our hang-ups, but wouldn’t it be amazing if we made it easier for Him? Just taking baby steps to open our hearts and let ourselves be vulnerable—to others and to God—can make a world of difference.

I’m wrapping up this blog post with two absolutely great videos on forgiveness and healing. They’re top-notch, and I can’t recommend them enough. Give them some time, pray about them, and see where they take you.