On the day of the feast of Saint Stephen the martyr 26 December, Pope Francis pointed out the importance of forgiveness and encouraged asking the Child Jesus for “a heart capable of forgiving”.
“Let us ask the newborn Jesus for something new, the news of a heart capable of forgiving. We all need a forgiving heart: let us ask the Lord for this grace: Lord, may you learn to forgive,” the Pope said in his Angelus.
The Holy Father highlighted the importance of forgiveness, thanks to the testimony of Saint Stephen, who is the first martyr that “when he was about to die” he imitated the example of Jesus and “forgave his murderers.”
In this line, the Pope encouraged us to “improve our testimony through charity towards the brothers, fidelity to the Word of God, and forgiveness.”
“It is forgiveness that says if we really practice charity towards others and if we live the Word of Jesus,” warned the Pope.
In this way, the Holy Father indicated that “‘forgiveness’ is actually, as the word itself indicates, a greater gift, a gift that we give to others because we belong to Jesus, we are forgiven by Him.”
“I forgive because I have been forgiven and we forget about this, eh?” he added.
In this sense, Pope Francis encouraged asking for ” the strength to pray for those who have hurt us “, that is, “pray for the people who have hurt me, and to take steps of openness and reconciliation”.
“May the Lord give us this grace. May Mary, Queen of martyrs, help us to grow in charity, in love for the Word and in forgiveness,” the Pontiff concluded.