Jesus is Loving and Forgiving. The World, however, is Unforgiving

Jesus is Loving and Forgiving,

The world, however, is Unforgiving

Eileen Renders

Psalm 102:26 speaks of the world in this way: “The world will wear out like a garment,” referring to the temporary nature of creation. Although this psalm is not a direct quote from Scripture, the sentiment aligns with Christian teachings on detachment from earthly possessions.

God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to teach, to be an example of how to live, and to be scorned, persecuted, and before Jesus returned to His Father in Heaven, He would be judged and sentenced to death. Jesus fasted for forty days and nights. He took His apostles and went into the garden, where he felt mental anxiety regarding His fate. He was abandoned by His Apostles, who did not join Him in prayer. There, Jesus prayed to His Father, “Father, let this cup pass from Me. But if it must be, Your will be done.”

Jesus felt fear and anxiety of what He knew was to come, and He felt abandoned by His followers, His Apostles. Yet Jesus accepted His Father’s will that He would be humiliated, whipped, carry a huge Cross to a place where He would be stripped of His clothing, and nailed to a Cross to save us, His creation, from eternal damnation because of our sinful ways. He lived teaching love, mercy, trust, and forgiveness.

Personally, I come from a large family and once had six siblings. The eldest, Mary, died at 18. She contracted rheumatic fever that developed into rheumatic heart disease. I watched her when I was a child, maybe 6, walk around with a small cup, spitting up blood. She was born around 1930-1931, and there was no heart surgery in those days. A sister who died of a brain aneurysm that was never detected. She had 4 young children and developed a crippling headache, went to the emergency, and was gone within an hour. Another sister who died at 62 of cancer, and was a smoker. Back then, we knew little about smoking and cancer. There was a younger brother, Jimmy, who became ill and was suddenly vomiting relentlessly. He was taken to the hospital, where nurses and doctors were busy with COVID, and he choked to death on his own vomit. I have lost all of my friends.

When I was in my 20s, I felt that the idea of becoming old was so far away that I did not need to think about it. It seemed a hundred years away. Somewhere in my mind, I also believed that just being a good person was enough, and I would deal with more important things in my life later on. In fact, it is probably fair to say that young people are deluged with thoughts of earning money, travel, falling in love, and I knew my calling was to be a mother as I held my mother up as my hero, my role model. However, I have reached an age today that many may not see. I have learned much about life. As I always say, life for all of us is temporary.

Accepting our pain and losses is emotionally and spiritually devastating; we, too, as did Jesus, become fearful and ridden with anxiety. Accepting our Cross, which is not nearly as heavy as the Cross Jesus accepted and bore for us, requires spiritual maturity. What is spiritual maturity? Spiritual maturity is that time in our lives when we understand and appreciate what Jesus has done for us. We show our appreciation through Mass, prayer, following the Commandments, and following His ways. God, in return for our loyalty, will not take away our Cross as He did not relieve Jesus from His Cross, but with our trust in Him, He gives us the strength, tolerance, and comfort of knowing that we too, one day, will die, be resurrected, and spend eternity in heaven with God and our family that has preceded us.