Photo was taken at Flatanger, north west Norway

A seagull greedily grabs the fish as it is thrown into the water!

Thought on Saturday – February – 08/02/2014

‘For Jesus, forgiveness is the most profound healing a person can experience. We know know from experience how people can remain disfigured and paralysed in spirit when they live without forgiveness. We know how our unwilingness to forgive others can keep us imprisoned and chained. Jesus opposes that with all his might.’ ~Denis McBride

The number of people going to confession (Sacrament of Reconciliation) has tumbled in the last decade. It’s significance and importance just faded with time. It is fair to say that the true spirit of forgiveness got choked and stifled in a Church that became obsessed with perfection, duty, obligation and control. Everyone has moved on today and despite new beginnings the shadows of the past are still felt today.

No one can deny how important forgiveness is and in particular the forgiveness that Jesus embraced. When we are open to forgiveness, then great and wonderful things begin to happen. The feeling is like no other. Our human spirit needs nourishment, freedom, new beginnings, opportunity and space to just be. Forgiveness allows all this to happen. Like a key it unlocks all those parts of our lives that are chained to hurt, mistakes, darkness and things we have done that we need to move on from. Many today hunger and long for that key. The invitation to experience true forgiveness is not a rare opportunity but one that can happen whenever we are ready.