{Fr. Roman Braga} ~ his life teaches us to forgive

"Where Fr. Roman could have been embittered against those who treated him so
shamefully he prayed for them. When given humiliation, he responded with humility. When
given torture, he responded with a blessing. When exiled from his homeland, he followed God’s will. These things may sound impossible to us. They are not. Humility and love are not
reserved for monks and nuns. There are for all of us. And in them we will find salvation. If I
think about something in the past where someone wronged me, it’s easy to tense up, feeling
blood pressure rise, becoming agitated. What does that serve? Fr. Roman’s example is nothing
other than the example of our Lord Jesus Christ. What freedom there is in forgiveness! How
light the load is when we look to see some good in every person! How we are filled with
Christ’s joy when we pray for those who love us and those who hate us! The humility to forgive is life-giving. It takes what we “want” or the vengeance we may seek out of the equation. That is, forgiveness puts to death our pride. This is how Fr. Roman lived. It is a choice to live like this, a choice to live like Christ. That’s important for us to remember before we make the choice to hold a grudge or seek retribution. "

~homily from St. Nicholas Church in MI