❀ ❀ ❀
What is it which renders a child so sweet and lovable? Its innocence, it is true, but also its simplicity and its inability to keep up feelings of anger. A child may be angry, excessively angry, with other children and anxious to revenge itself, but in a brief space of time all is past and forgotten; it once more laughs, jests, and plays with the very children upon whom it longed to revenge itself a few minutes before. It is on account of this characteristic that the Saviour said: “Unless you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”
It is to be hoped that you, my daughter, are still a child in the best sense of the word—that your heart is pure, and that you as yet know nothing of hatred, enmities, and permanent feelings of aversion. But times will change, and you will change also. You must therefore arm yourself to resist the attacks of the strongest and most destructive of passions, those of anger, hatred, and revenge. For if these passions are allowed to dwell in the heart of a woman, they remain there more permanently, and burn with a fiercer flame than in the heart of a man. Lay well to heart the truth that “it is difficult, yet not impossible,” to love your enemies.
How difficult, how terribly difficult it is to love an enemy, to love one who has injured you most grievously, most shamefully! Yet, difficult as it is, it must be done. For God Himself has commanded you in these solemn words: “But I say to you, love your enemies.” In another place He commands you to forgive, not only once, not only seven times, but seventy times seven times. Again He says: “I say to you not to resist evil: but if one strike thee on thy right cheek, turn to him also the other.” And if passion whispers to you that you can be consoled only by inflicting pain on your enemy, you must stifle the unworthy feeling, and forgive him. If you imagine that you must needs revenge yourself that your enemy may not repeat his offense, still you must forgive in obedience to the divine command.
If the world represents to you that your honor calls to be avenged, still you must forgive, for God will have it so. If your heart bleeds, and you feel quite bewildered, and are conscious that you have neither strength nor courage to forgive, you must make the effort, great as it may be, for God has said: “Love your enemies.”
Difficult it may be, but it can and must be done. For instance, some one may have grievously injured you, causing your honor and good name to suffer. Then will a craving for revenge arise in your heart, like some fierce, wild animal, and cry to you that in a case like this you cannot, ought not to forgive. Is it really true that it is out of your power to pardon your foe? Certainly it is not; thousands and thousands have been more grievously, wronged, yet have been able to forgive; you can imitate their example if only you exert your will. God does not require you to perform an impossibility. He will give you the needful grace; if you pray earnestly for it, you will assuredly receive it, and find yourself able to accomplish what appeared to be an impossibility. You must forgive; otherwise the portals of heaven will remain closed against you, and damnation and despair will be your portion forevermore. But God created you for a very different end. He has said: “I desire not the death of the sinner, but that he be converted and live.” Only pray, and you will be enabled to practice forgiveness in this life, and thus be happy forever in the next.
Should anger be firmly rooted in your heart you may perhaps say that you are ready and willing to forgive your enemy, but that you cannot love him. It is of course by no means necessary that you should love him in the ordinary acceptation of the word; but you must feel charitably toward
him, return his greetings, be ready to render him any assistance in your power, whenever he may stand in need of your help, and pray for him. That attitude is quite sufficient, and it is by no means impossible for you to live accordingly.
Let us suppose you take up another line, and say: “I have a great deal to put up with, and have borne it al in uncomplaining silence, but they have really gone too far; I cannot forgive them!” Now answer me one question. Has your enemy, let me ask you, struck you, scourged you, crowned you with thorns, dragged you away to a cruel death? Yet was all this done to Jesus Christ, Our Lord and God. Are you as innocent as He was? Have you given your enemies no cause for offense? Have you not, on the contrary, frequently and grievously offended your God, and has He not repeatedly pardoned you? Do you therefore in like manner pardon your enemies, and abuse not His long-suffering.
To take one more instance. You may say: “I will certainly forgive my enemies, but I can never forget what they have done; I will avoid them as far as I can; I will ignore them; I want to hear nothing more about them.” My dear child, that would not be a real heartfelt forgiveness, such as Our Lord requires of you. Suppose God were to address you in like manner! Remember the fifth petition in the Lord’s Prayer. Should you like to pray in such words as these: “Forgive me, as I forgive my enemies; forgive me but do not forget my offenses; pay no more heed to me; ignore me altogether.” Could you bring yourself to utter such a petition as this?
As I remarked in the first part of this chapter, these serious exhortations do not so much apply to you at the present time as they will at a later period of your life; when anger and hatred may seek to gain a footing in your heart. At present it is enough for you to seek to play the part of an angel of peace, in regard to any dissensions that may chance to arise among your nearest relatives. The following anecdote is related of the celebrated Italian preacher, Saint Leonard of Port Maurice, when he was lying on his deathbed. His father loved him tenderly, but lived in the bitterest enmity with his own brother. The dying man called them both to the side of his bed, and, stretching out his arms, joined the hands of the two enemies, saying as he did so: “Father, uncle, listen to my last request! Love one another, as I love you, as you love me, as God loves us all! I cannot die until I have reconciled you.” Both burst into tears, and their enmity vanished like smoke.
Do you in like manner promote peace wherever you go and reconcile those who are at variance. Above all seek, as far as in you lies, to live at peace with all men.
“Peace be with you!” Blessed word!
Farewell spoken by Our Lord;
Pledge of our eternal rest
In the mansions of the blest.
The Carnation—Obedience.