MISSIONARIES OF FORGIVENESS - METHODOLOGIES

 

From Zenit.org a growing field of forgiveness therapy in psychology – some are based in a Christian anthropology -- Scriptural basis in Eph. 417-32.       Here are four approaches to forgiveness. 

 

 * * *

Psychological steps to forgiveness:

Acknowledge the anger and hurt caused by clearly identified specific offenses

Bar revenge and any thought of inflicting harm as repayment or punishment to the offender

Consider the offender's perspective; try to understand his/her attitude and behavior

Decide to accept the hurt without unloading it on the offender, passing it back and forth

Extend compassion and good will to the offender, which releases the offended from the offense

 

 * * *

Ignacio Laranaga's "Encounter," on mental prayer and forgiveness.  He speaks of this stage of forgiveness as an unbinding, a releasing of the offended one, with several visualizations to accompany the spiritual exercise – the beginning of forgiveness.

 

 * * *

12-Step Program approach to forgiveness:

acknowledge powerlessness over anger, inability to forgive, and desire to turn it over to God

Justice and revenge belong to God

God forgive him or her, I can't

God free me from my anger and help me forgive.

This one is open to accepting God's Grace, open to arriving at humility.  It's basically Catholic spirituality -- the basis of the Oxford Group's spirituality.

 

* * *

Missionaries of Forgiveness approach to forgiveness

See the hallmarks of covetousness and related sins;

jealousy, envy, possessiveness, competition beyond ethical bounds

    and accept that some degree of that state exists within oneself

Will to refrain from acting upon that mere emotion; entertaining thoughts; and acting on hallmarks

Longing to be restored to the intimate relationship with the Triune God previously experienced:

     Identify the person, place, institution -- the source of the pain, the one with the power to injure

                 distinguished from those associated with that person, place, institution, usually

                 seen as source only because of their association with that person, place, institution

          Regularly Pray the Our Father with those names in it throughout

     Admit to God I desire to want His will in my life, and do not now want it

          Beg God and Our Blessed Mother to give me the willingness to forgive, His Grace

     Read/incorporate paragraphs in Imitation of Christ dealing with accepting a more humble place 

 

The focus of the Missionaries of Forgiveness is a willingness through Faith to turn away from sin, in complete dependence upon God's mercy and Grace operating within oneself, in the will, in the intellect, in the emotions.  The purpose is to achieve union with God in a more humble place than one would naturally be able to accept, in the absence of His Grace, accepting the truths of one's life.  It's Augustinian.  And God does the forgiving; I'm just the willing conduit.

 

* * *