Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent

Forgiveness and compassion hold hands like sisters
and call forth a strength that relies one on the other.

Our actions and behavior are influenced by our security or lack of it,
our frustrations, and usually our compulsions.

We readily forgive a child,
but we forget that growing up is a lifelong process.

To understand that we each do the best we can
with the maturity we have
enables us to allow each other our inevitable "mistakes"
and to practice the art of true forgiveness.

- Noela N. Evans in Meditations for the Passages and Celebrations of Life

Lent is a season for growing in understanding of others and of ourselves... growing in patience with others and with ourselves... Compassion is often the path to forgiveness of others and of ourselves...