{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"S18 E2 - Forgiveness","description":"In this episode, we reflect on the tender and often misunderstood topic of forgiveness, what it is, what it isn\u2019t, and why it's central to finding freedom in Christ. We talk honestly about how resentment and unforgiveness can quietly build in the heart, often as an attempt to protect ourselves from further pain. We also acknowledge how difficult forgiveness can be, what to do with the cry of our hearts when we have been wounded, and how to entrust it to God when we don\u2019t yet feel capable of forgiving. Friends, forgiveness does not strip us of our identity, it affirms who we are in Christ. Even in the deepest places of hurt, we find hope because of the loving presence of a God who never abandons us in our pain.   Heather\u2019s One Thing - Greatness of the Lord by Brooke Ligertwood Heather\u2019s Other One Thing - The Franciscan University Community  Sister Miriam\u2019s One Thing - Heather\u2019s Battle Cry Playlist Michelle\u2019s One Thing - Congratulations to Indiana University for winning the championship! Michelle\u2019s Other One Thing - The Correspondent by Virginia Evans   Other Resources Mentioned:  Forgiving as Unity with Christ: A Journey for Healing Resentment and Relationships by Dr. Robert Enright   Announcement: Our 2026 Lenten book study will be \u201cThe Way of Trust and Love\u201d by Fr. Jacques Philippe. Scepter Publishers has offered 15% off with the code ABIDE15. They also offer an ebook version as well. We will announce more information about the study in the coming weeks!   Journal Questions: What are the unhealed places of your heart? Are you angry, sad, or frustrated at the wrong you\u2019ve endured? How have I experienced shame about the wrongs I\u2019ve endured or my own unforgiveness? How has this affected my health, wellbeing, or energy? How do I replay or obsess over the conflict I experienced?  How have I given into constant comparison in my unforgiveness? What major changes have occurred in my life because of the injustice I\u2019ve experienced and how have they affected me? Has this experience led to a more negative worldview? How has my sense of self changed? Am I seeing myself as worthless?   Discussion Questions: How have you been sweeping things under the rug and calling it forgiveness? What deeper feelings lie beneath your resentment? Where in your life do you need to repent and take personal responsibility? Who has modeled repentance and forgiveness well in your life? How does your heart react to conflict and wrongdoing in relationships?   Quotes to Ponder: \u201cUltimately, we can really forgive people only because Christ rose from the dead; his Resurrection is the guarantee that God can cure every wrong and every hurt.\u201d (Fr. Jacques Philippe, Interior Freedom) Resentment attacks our vital forces and does us much harm. When someone has made us suffer, our tendency is to keep the memory of the wrong alive in our minds, like a \u201cbill\u201d we will produce in due time to demand settlement. Those accumulated bills end up poisoning our lives. It is wiser to cancel every debt, as the Gospel invites us to. In return, we will be forgiven everything, and our hearts will be set free, whereas nurturing resentment toward others closes us to the positive things they could contribute to us.\u201d (Fr. Jacques Philippe, Interior Freedom) Scripture for Lectio: \u201cThen Peter came to Jesus and asked, \u201cLord, how many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times?\u201d Jesus answered, \u201cI tell you, not just seven times, but seventy-seven times!\u201d\u201d (Matthew 18:21-22)   Sponsor - Blessed is She: \u201cWho do you say that I am?\u201d Jesus didn\u2019t ask this because He was uncertain of His identity. He asked because we often are. The disciples had walked with Him. They had seen the miracles. They had heard the teaching. And still, when the question was asked, many hesitated. Because proximity to Jesus does not automatically mean intimacy.  So often, our understanding of God is shaped by what we\u2019ve absorbed over time\u2014what we were taught, what we experienced, what others modeled for us. And without noticing, we begin to believe stories that aren\u2019t true.That God is distant. That He is easily disappointed. That love must be earned. That holiness requires perfection. But Jesus does not leave us guessing. He tells us who He is: I am the Light of the World. I am the Bread of Life. I am the Good Shepherd. I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life... Join Blessed is She this Lent to journey with Jesus to Jerusalem in Who Do You Say That I Am? by Debra Herbeck.  This Lenten devotional walks through the \u201cI AM\u201d statements of Jesus in the Gospel of John and is written to lead you out of assumptions and into encounter.  This Lent, let Jesus speak for Himself. And let that truth reshape the way you live. Whether you\u2019ve been walking with Jesus for years or you just met Him, drink even more deeply of the truths of who Jesus says He is in Who Do You Say That I Am? Get your women's and kid's devotionals at blessedisshe.net\/lent. Blessed is She is a Catholic women\u2019s community for any woman who wants to radically follow Jesus through a vibrantly Catholic life every single day.  We create beautiful and accessible resources (like this year's Lent devotional), products, and experiences to deepen prayer and foster community, both online and in person. We invite you into this community, no matter where you are on your walk with Christ. You belong here. Subscribe to our *free* daily emails to pray with the daily Mass readings and women all over the world at blessedisshe.net\/subscribe and order the brand new Blessed is She Catholic journaling Bible at blessedisshe.net\/shop.   Timestamps: 00:00 Blessed is She 01:30 Intro 02:16 Welcome 03:25 Scripture Verse and Quotes to Ponder 06:13 Repentance Leads to Freedom 07:53 Forgiveness is Hard 09:41 How Do I Forgive When I Don\u2019t Have the Capacity? 13:27 Modeling Repentance in Our Lives 17:35 Being Honest with Ourselves Can Be Painful 24:28 Sitting in the Pain and Setting Boundaries 29:34 Reflection Questions on Forgiveness 38:03 One Things ","author_name":"Abiding Together","author_url":"https:\/\/www.abidingtogetherpodcast.com\/","html":"