Memorial of Saint Robert Bellarmine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church [Jesuit Churches]
What is the main effect of being forgiven? Love. “So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love” (Luke 7:47). Sometimes, in our prayer we may find that it has been a long time since we have last told the Lord, “I love you.” When we realize this, one remedy that is clear from today’s Gospel, and from the lives of the saints, is to consider the Lord’s mercy towards us. To remember the times when the Lord forgave me. This is not to say that we need to make a list of all the sins of our past life (such an exercise would probably make us think more about ourselves rather than the Lord). But we may consider a moving experience in Confession, an apology to someone we love, a moment of being reconciled when we or another family member was estranged. The Holy Spirit at work in our hearts, opening our hearts to the deeper relationship with God and our neighbor whom we are called to love, has given us great gifts of moving forgiveness in our lives. Let us recall these gifts of love from Our Lord. Let us love again the One who has always loved us.