The first step towards forgiveness is to understand that the one who forgives is the true beneficiary, not the one who wronged us.

This realization is a powerful catalyst for our spiritual growth and strengthens our faith. Forgiveness is not just about letting go of the hurt but also about gaining a sense of peace and calm that no one can take away from us.

 

The second is to pray for the grace to forgive. Humanly speaking, forgiving a wrong is challenging, while forgiving some wrongs can seem like asking for the impossible. That is the reason we need power beyond our own to forgive. In this instance, it does not matter whether the person who has wronged us admits to the wrong or not.

It is worse when the person is not remorseful. But all the same, we need to forgive the person for two main reasons – We free ourselves from hurt, giving us the peace of a calm heart and the knowledge that nobody can steal our most profound joy; by that, we practice what Christ teaches us. 

Forgiveness brings freedom, releasing us from being slaves to our wounds. In the ‘Our Father’, we say: “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Therefore, learning to forgive is not just praiseworthy—it’s necessary for our salvation.

 

In my journey, I've found that praying for the person who wronged me has been a powerful tool for forgiveness. It's not always easy, and I often struggle to find the right words, but the desire to forgive is there. And with each attempt, it becomes a little easier. 

The rest, as they say, is history. Listening to miracle stories is deeply inspiring; it fires up my faith in God.

Reading stories on forgiveness does the same as well. While not taking the hurt away instantly, it leaves me in awe with the thought that what has been done to me is not half of, for instance, the story of how St. Pope John Paul II did to his would-have-been assassin when the then Pope visited the person who would have killed him in prison. 

It is the year of prayer, a good time to look up to God, the giver of all good things and the bestower of requisite graces for the grace forgiveness.

“Lord, do not hold this sin against them,” for You are full of mercy and compassion for all. Please give me the grace to forgive so as to imitate Your perfect love… On the ten beads of each of the rosary, pray: Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.