Forgive and try to Forget

Forgive and forget. Simple words but, difficult to fulfill.

Personally, if I have experienced strong emotional pain from another person's actions or words, forgiving and forgetting are difficult to achieve. However, I have learned to pray that I forgive and forget the experience and move on with life.

Recently I read an interesting comment on the topic of Forgiveness and Forgetting on the Catholic.com website. Here is part of the comment:

"Forgiveness is a creative act of grace that allows people to move on from past events without being consumed by bitterness or revenge. It also means that people don't have to let the other person's sin control them. However, forgiveness is not an obligation, and it doesn't mean forgetting the past. According to Fr. Robert Schreiter, theologian, "In forgiving, we do not forget; we remember in a different way". For example, people can choose to forgive someone who has hurt them without allowing the memory to control their lives."

So, it is by God's grace that forgiveness takes place and "remembering in a different way" can lead to forgetting.

Lord, please forgive me as I forgive those who have trespassed against me!