Monday, February 24, 2025

Thoughts on Forgiveness

One central lesson I have learned recovering from psychosomatic pain disorder, which is very much rooted in past trauma, is the imperative to forgive those who caused or contributed to that trauma.  In fact, as a general rule I think most experience a pattern of trauma throughout their life, so the longer it is unresolved, especially through forgiveness, the longer it affects your physical health and therefore state in life.  

The mind is powerful, so much so that unresolved memories can cause illness and bad habits, whereas good, healthy thoughts to heal those memories conversely restore health and better habits.  Life only gets better. 

There are two levels of forgiveness, moral and psychological.  Moral forgiveness must happen as soon as possible after harm is done. It is a singular choice. But psychological forgiveness is a longer process of inner healing, yet still moral in so far as you commit yourself to that process.  Forgiveness doesn’t necessarily mean reconciliation, but letting go of undo anger and resentment that automatically swells up in us after being injured, because of original sin.

There are ways to work on forgiveness.  One, every time past memories of your past enemy resurface, pray for them.  Two, write letters of forgiveness to past enemies, being brutally honest what they did and your own mistakes, but never send it or show to others. Instead do a ceremony of burning the letter as a symbol of letting go.  Three, include  in your prayers each night “and for past and present enemies.”  For a moment think on those who most come to mind who need your prayers they have conversion on some level.  

Not yet achieving forgiveness is because of obsession, which can be one form of demonic influence.  The devil uses your trauma to torment and sew seeds of doubt and despair.  So if you struggle with obsessing about past enemies and what they did to you, or any obsession, you have to do spiritual warfare against this, invoking St. Michael, praying daily for deliverance and to achieve a state of peace, and rising above it all through daily mental prayer, like an eagle soaring upward in the sky. 

Forgiveness means “letting go” of everything related to the trauma of what that person did, becoming totally detached from them and the nitty gritty details of those memories, healing, and therefore being transformed, all of which will happen when done through Christ, the sacraments, a daily schedule of prayer, and the clear intention daily to forgive your enemies.  

In the end God will deal with them, and by means of your new tranquil state of “having forgiven” will show you the way to freedom from the evil they cause.  In the end you will win and proposer from it. You do this by rising above and beyond your enemies through the power of forgiveness.