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On this, the first day of Great Lent, I ask your forgiveness for all I have done, both in ignorance and intention, to harm you.<\/p>\n
God forgives and I\u00a0forgive!<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
Every morning we all pray these or similar words;<\/p>\n
Lord, save and have mercy on those whom I have offended or sca<\/em>ndalized by my recklessness or neglectfulness, those whom I have turned from the path of salvation and those whom I have led into evil and harmful deeds. \u00a0Through Your Divine Providence restore them again to the way of salvation.<\/em><\/p>\n Lord, save and have mercy on those who hate me and deal wrongly with me by doing me harm and do not permit them to come to condemnation because of me, a sinner. \u00a0<\/em>(This version is from the\u00a0UOC-USA Prayer Book).<\/p>\n These two prayers have always affected me strongly, but they have become an even more important part of my spiritual health (and sanity!) since I became a parish priest. \u00a0The same is true for the Rite of Forgiveness that we begins the season of Great Lent.<\/p>\n To be honest, I can\u2019t imagine priests being able to last long without it. \u00a0This is because it helps address\u00a0two difficult realities\u00a0in their lives;<\/p>\n First, parishioners \u2013 whether through ignorance or intention \u2013 hurt their priests.<\/strong>\u00a0 Rarely are these huge offenses (although we have all seen such things happen in the lives of our\u00a0brothers, if not our own), but even the small things \u2013 the gossiping about our families, the grumbling about how we serve, the blame for declining attendance, and so on \u2013 take their toll. \u00a0For whatever reason, it is rare for parishioners to apologize to their priests for the\u00a0sins they commit against them. \u00a0On Forgiveness Sunday, they do.<\/p>\n Second (and this one is FAR more important), priests really do sin against their parishioners.<\/strong> \u00a0We don\u2019t pray for them the way we should. \u00a0We don\u2019t love them the way we should. \u00a0We don\u2019t listen to or understand them the way we should. \u00a0We don\u2019t lead and serve them the way we should. \u00a0We don\u2019t protect and defend them the way we should. \u00a0We don\u2019t suffer and die for them as we should. \u00a0As with their transgressions against us, large offenses are rare (although we have all seen brothers commit terrible sins against their parishes; God help us and protect those we serve), but every bit of recklessness \u00a0and negligence accumulates, burdens, hurts, and divides. \u00a0Yes, we confess and accept God\u2019s absolution for this regularly in confession. \u00a0Yes, we ask forgiveness for this in our daily prayers. \u00a0Yes, we commit ourselves to serve better every time we put on our cassock and cross (once more into the breach!). \u00a0But is there anything more gratifying than being able to prostrate before a parishioner, look him eye in the eye, and then sincerely and openly ask for his forgiveness? \u00a0Is there anything more gratifying than being able to do it to every parishioner, one after the other, and to mean it every time? \u00a0Is there anything more gratifying than being reconciled with the brothers and sisters we are called to serve?<\/p>\n Rituals of forgiveness are built into marriages (e.g. \u201cI\u2019m sorry honey; I just wasn\u2019t thinking. \u00a0Please forgive me. \u00a0I love you so much.\u201d \u00a0\u201cI love you, too. \u00a0I forgive you.\u201d \u00a0<<hug>>); healthy couples forgive one another and then make up all the time. \u00a0These rituals are critical for marital survival (much less bliss!).<\/p>\n Glory to God such rituals are\u00a0built into parish life as well.<\/p>\n