Many people look at the Cross and see only suffering. Yet, at the heart of that suffering is love—a love that forgives even while wounded. The Cross is not just a symbol of pain; it is the living image of mercy poured out for a world that had turned away. When we gaze upon Christ crucified, we see forgiveness not as a word or an idea, but as something done—freely, completely, and forever.
On Calvary, Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). In that moment, He showed that forgiveness is not earned—it is given. Jesus did not wait for His executioners to apologize or understand. He forgave from the Cross, while still bleeding. That is the heart of divine mercy: love that refuses to stop loving, even when rejected.
The Cross teaches us that forgiveness always has a cost. It is not about pretending the hurt never happened. Jesus felt every nail, every insult. Yet instead of returning evil for evil, He absorbed it with love. In doing so, He broke the cycle of hatred and opened a new way for humanity to live—one where mercy triumphs over sin.
For us, this means that forgiveness is not weakness, but strength. When we forgive, we share in the mystery of the Cross. We let grace flow through our wounds instead of letting bitterness take root. True forgiveness does not deny justice—it fulfills it through love. It restores what sin tried to destroy: communion between God and His children.
When you look at the Cross, see there the full meaning of forgiveness: love stretched wide, arms open to embrace even those who turned away. It is in that embrace that the world was saved—and where every act of forgiveness still begins.
May the Cross remind us that mercy is stronger than revenge, and love has the power to make all things new.
— Fr. John Matthew, for Christian Way
