Martinez, Czarina Cherizze C.

2-I

Luke 6:32-36
If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you 34 do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid 35 in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and 36 wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
32 33

Throughout my teenage years, I never experienced to have real friends. It was really hard for me to look for someone whom I can trust, someone who can be a sister to me when Im in school. My mom was so competitive back then. She always wants me to be the best. She would hire me a tutor for me to top the exams. She would buy me pretty clothes and shoes so that I would be at my best look when I go to the public. In short, I was the queen bee of our school. Maybe this is the reason why everyone wants to pull me down. Nobody wanted to befriend me. They are only nice when they need something from me. I had a close friend back then. She was charming and cheerful. I always talk to her when Im sad. I tell her everything. I lend her stuff when she needs them. I treated her like my own sister. She told me she treats me like her "best friend," but the moment my back is turned, she lies about me to others. No one wants to be hurt in this way and I didnt even know how to deal with someone like her. She went up to me and asked for forgiveness. At first I was hesitant to listen to her, but as her speech progresses, tears started to roll on my cheeks. My anger faded away and my heart was no longer in pain. I forgave her. I believe forgiveness is one of the most misunderstood doctrines of the Christian life. Many believe that forgiveness requires us to unconditionally release others from past wrongs. They assume that we have to forgive in order to love. Others have adopted the "I forgive you for my own sake" attitude that advocates forgiveness as a means of releasing ourselves from the cancer of bitterness and the fire of anger. In many different ways, forgiveness is therefore seen as an unconditional offering of pardon that says, "No matter what you have done to me, I forgive you." According to Luke 6:35-36, love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. God Himself is merciful, who am I to feel resentment towards others?

Martinez, Czarina Cherizze C. 2-I

Forgiveness is a progressive learning experience. Once the journey has begun you have unleashed a process that inevitably will bring the truth of who you are to your awareness. There may seem to be any number of reasons we are moved to begin the forgiveness process, but whatever their appearance, it is in response to an innate knowing there is a peaceful and loving Self that we have overlooked. The journey of forgiveness may take different forms or go by different names, but all are needed to free us from the misperception of our guiltthe cause of all our pain and suffering, our anger and our hate. Once begun, the freedom we find from releasing our judgments opens our mind to discovering a self and a world we could not have previously conceived of. The experience of peace and happiness expose the loving Self we had only hoped was there before.