Ilia II: IIt is often difficult for us to take this step - Asking for forgiveness or letting go of resentment - But we must always remember the example of the Lord – For the sake of God, let us be merciful to one another

"It is often difficult for us to take this step—asking for forgiveness or letting go of resentment—but we must always remember the example of our Lord Jesus Christ," stated the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Ilia II, in his address regarding Forgiveness Sunday, as shared by the Patriarchate's Public Relations Office.

As the Patriarch emphasized, "We must be merciful to one another so that the Lord may also have mercy on us and forgive our sins."

"To the spiritual children of the Georgian Orthodox Church, both those residing in Georgia and abroad:

By God's mercy, we have once again reached the eve of Great Lent, a day of forgiveness and mutual absolution of sins.

It is often difficult for us to take this step—asking for forgiveness or letting go of resentment—but we must always remember the example of our Lord Jesus Christ. He came into this world for our salvation, performed many miracles (which, as the Apostle says, if they were all written down, even the world itself could not contain the books), healed the blind, the paralyzed, the sick, and the lepers, and raised the dead… He brought hope, comfort, and joy to many. Yet, despite all this, He was considered a servant of evil and was sentenced to the highest and most humiliating punishment—crucifixion and death.

Even in those moments, the Savior entrusted to God the people who had condemned and abandoned Him, asking the Father to forgive them for their wrongdoing and not to hold their transgressions against them.

Of course, we do not possess such spiritual strength, but we must strive to take similar steps if we wish to be called true Christians—not merely in name, but in reality.

For the sake of God, let us be merciful to one another so that the Lord may also have mercy on us and forgive our sins.

I, the humble Ilia II, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, kneel before you and ask forgiveness from everyone whom I may have wronged, whether knowingly or unknowingly, whose requests I may have overlooked, or whose pain I may have failed to acknowledge… Forgive me for all of it. I pray to the Lord, through the intercession of all His saints, to forgive my sins and grant me the strength to remain faithful to God and to you.

I also ask our Most Merciful Lord Jesus Christ, through the intercession of our Most Holy Mother of God, to forgive your sins, both voluntary and involuntary; to remove from us the spirit of judgment, envy, enmity, and malice, and all evil deeds… and to grant us an understanding heart, a pure heart, and a sincere spirit so that the Lord may dwell among us and guide our lives on the path of truth.

May the Most Holy Trinity grant us peace, a Lent of repentance, and a joyful Resurrection. Amen!" – stated Ilia II.