“Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.” // Luke 17: 3

Forgiveness has many layers to it. I’m a very forgiving person, quick to reconcile with God and others, not withholding love from them even after I’ve been wronged. However, it wasn’t until I went through the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola’s (19th Annotation) that I realized I had a lot of wounds from my sins and the sins of others. The way I was treated and, at times, discarded, had long-term emotional and spiritual effects on me.

I shared this with my spiritual director, and she helped me through an exercise where I rejected several evil spirits and asked God to replace those areas of emptiness with a new spirit and grace.

+ I rejected the spirit of manipulation and asked God to replace it with His spirit of courage and right judgment.

+ I rejected a spirit of shame and asked God to replace it with His spirit of honesty and truth.

+ I rejected a spirit of comparison and asked God to replace it with His spirit of authenticity.

+ I rejected a spirit of fear and asked God to replace it with His spirit of trust.

+ I rejected a spirit of loneliness and asked God to replace it with His spirit of love.

I had told myself numerous lies, I had to reject evil spirits, I had to acknowledge wounds, and I had to allow myself to grieve deaths. Forgiveness had been given to me, but I hadn’t fully received all God wanted me to receive. There’s a reason God says to forgive seven times seven. Forgiveness, like wounds, goes much deeper, and we often don’t see the damage beneath the skin and memory.

“Be on your guard” (Luke 11:3), sister, but don’t remain guarded. God wants to pour life-giving grace upon you. Our hearts are so tender and easily broken. The way we love, forgive, and desire reconciliation is one of the most beautiful aspects of our feminine genius.

I believe the way we forgive and receive forgiveness changes human relationships and makes them more honest and authentic. I invite you today to reject any evil spirits that are not of God and ask the Lord to replace that place of emptiness with His Spirit. Be open to receive all the grace God wants to give you today.

[bctt tweet="Ask the Lord to replace the places of emptiness with His Spirit. // @socaltriciat" username="blessedisshe__"]

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