Chapter 13: Lauds on ordinary days (paragraph 2)
It is important that the celebration of Lauds and Vespers should never be concluded without the recitation by the superior of the whole of the Lord's prayer so that all may hear and attend to it. This is because of the harm that is often done in a community by the thorns of conflict which can arise. (From para. 2 of Ch. 13 of Saint Benedict's Rule, trans. by Patrick Barry, OSB, 1997.)
It can be hard for me to talk about forgiveness because I realize that sometimes there are healthy boundaries that I need to establish and maintain, that may sound like qualifications on forgiveness. It's long, hard work to transform unhealthy patterns of relationship, and so perhaps the shape of forgiveness also transforms over time.
A new and most enlightening definition of forgiveness came to me from a much-scarred woman in recovery, the long-suffering spouse of a most abusive alcoholic. “Forgiveness, to me”, she said, “means giving up all hope of changing my past.” Abba, once more, by your grace and only by your grace, I can pray, forgive me my trespasses as I forgive those who trespass against me.
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