Power to Forgive, to Reconcile, to Live
Living Words from John Paul II
“So if you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift”
Drogheda, Ireland, 29 September 1979 | This command of Jesus is more robust than any wall of human inadequacy or malice.
There is another word that must be part of every Christian’s vocabulary, especially when grappling with barriers of hate and mistrust. That word is reconciliation.
Even when our belief in the fundamental goodness of every human being has been shaken or undermined, and even if long-held convictions and attitudes have hardened our hearts, there remains one source of power stronger than any disappointment, bitterness, or ingrained mistrust. That power is Jesus Christ, who brought forgiveness and reconciliation to the world.
Excerpted from the writings of Pope John Paul II
Apostolic Journey to Ireland
Holy Mass at Drogheda
Drogheda, Ireland — Saturday, 29 September 1979
Read the original Vatican text