Love Divine: Meditations for the Advent, Christmas, and New Year SeasonSample

"Epiphany of the Lord: Love Forgives" 

How delicious it feels to crave revenge! Although it is morally perverse and ultimately unsatisfying, the sheer pleasure that comes from nursing a grudge is intense. Sadly, some people feed off their resentment for an entire lifetime. 

Doctors Daniel Amen, Marian Diamond, and Caroline Leaf have described what vengeful feelings do to the human brain. Based on biochemical research, these neuroscientists have documented the toxic chemical flood that our bodies release into our brains whenever we think malicious thoughts. Their microphotographs show how the chemicals that are released burn tunnels into the branches of our nerve cells. 

Dr. Leaf calls these burned-out neurons “emotional black holes.” They are empty spaces in the brain produced by the angry resentments of a bitter soul. Yet, amazingly, it is possible for the brain to grow nerve fibers that fill in these black holes. New memories can replace the old. And one of the virtues Dr. Leaf identifies as bringing the most healing is forgiveness. 

The apostle Paul testifies to the power of forgiveness in his portrait of love, where he tells us that love “is not…resentful” (I Corinthians 13:5). Or, to express the truth in a positive way, love forgives. 

Jesus is the perfect example. Let us recall that it was not just his enemies whom Jesus forgave—but also his friends. Usually the deepest hurts come from the people who are closest to us, and for Jesus, this included his disciples—especially Peter, the first and boldest of the original twelve.  

Peter’s restoration through Christ’s forgiveness helps us to understand our own calling to love. Essentially, to “have love” is “to be toward others the way God in Christ has been toward us.”  This includes offering them the same kind of forgiveness that we have received and that has been modeled by the one and only true Love Divine. 

Have we learned to let go of our grudges, or are we still holding onto resentment toward people in our lives?