Radical Forgiveness

The story of Pope John Paul II forgiving his attempted killer, Mehmet Ali Agca, seems at first very radical, but it actually showcases exactly what God calls us to do. God requires us to love everyone, not just those that are easy to love, and forgiveness is essential to love. Just as Jesus loved and welcomed sinners, and tried to help them towards a holy place, so must we do the same with criminals. The Pope's story is very similar to Immaculee's story, although I would say that Immaculee was even more "radical" than the Pope in forgiving her family's killers. First of all, the Pope was a holy figure head, and very educated in God's plan and hopes for us. Although Immaculee studied the Bible and prayed a lot, she was just a normal person, whereas the Pope was a clergyman. Second, Agca was not actually successful in killing the Pope, so no one actually died. Finally, it was probably harder for Immaculee to forgive the killers, because they killed her family, and we are always more protective about our loved ones than ourselves. Still, both situations show that no matter how hard it is, it is always possible to forgive someone that hurt us or our loved ones.

How's the World? Messy...

When I hear stories of the suffering that happen around the world every day, it makes me sad and very often angry at mankind, although once I think about it more, I know that not all humans are evil: only a very small majority is. Additionally, I am overcome with feelings of insignificance and helplessness, because I know that no matter how hard I or anyone else could try, every instance of injustice can never be solved in our lifetimes. I know that my sympathy does nothing to help people across the globe. I think that as Catholics, one thing we can do to fight injustices is to pray not only for victims, but also pray for the strength to take a stand against it. It is hard to fight such large-scale problems, but it is what we must do, and praying will give us that strength. The articles stresses that we must also keep in mind injustices when we vote or become involved in causes. I believe that we should try to picture ourselves as the victims, and is that way we can see how badly we need to fight for others.