Lord, upon the cross You cried:
"Father, forgive them; they do not know
what they are doing." (Luke 23:34)
Lord, why didn't You say, "I forgive"?
Was being abandoned, denied, and betrayed by Your friends;
condemned, crucified, and mocked by Your people;
too painful to overcome?
Only You know the reasons why.
Yet, You pleaded to Your Father to complete
what You struggled with until Your Resurrection.
Lord, I honestly confess that, in my pain, I struggle to forgive.
I have not yet felt the graces of the Resurrection.
I humbly pray that You accomplish what I cannot
and I pray that one day I will have the willingness to forgive.
Amen.
— By a Columban Missionary