While people need people, we all know that no relationship is perfect. There are people who have brought us happiness, there are people who have brought us pain. Hence, the challenge is to forgive. 

Jesus was asked how many times should one forgive? Seven times. Seven times in the Jewish tradition means a lot. However, the response of Christ was, “…not seven but seventy-seven times”. Which means not a lot, but always. 

5 Reasons why should we forgive always.

1. When we forgive, we are the very first beneficiary. Never mind if the person who has hurt us is not asking for forgiveness. We still forgive because emotionally we are able to move on and let go. Otherwise, we will be bitter and continue to go back to the event or events and blame people.
    
2. When we forgive we are healed. Science and medicine tell us that many of our sicknesses come from negative emotions. Think of what anger can do to the heart, the blood pressure, and our lungs. 
   
3. When we forgive, we do not hurt ourselves. When there is anger, there is the desire for revenge. When an act of revenge takes place, there are two people who get hurt: the person who does the revenge and the person to whom it is directed.
    
4. When we forgive, we too, forgive ourselves. Why? It always takes two. Yes, we may be the victim and we may be the one who got hurt, but it always takes two. Surely, we have contributed to the situation by omission or commission. 
   
5. When we forgive, God forgives us. This is what Jesus tells us in the Gospel and this is what Jesus tells us when we are to pray. For now, we may not have given it much thought, but wait until mortality comes around the corner.

Remember forgiveness does not change the past, it changes the present and the future.