I was thinking of the concept of forgiveness at Mass today, considering why the desire to ‘get even’ with one who has done grave injury is a bad thing. After all, such evenness indicates a desire for justice, which is good. In fact, justice – which is to give what is due to another – is one of the four cardinal virtues. Why, then, would God command us not to do what seems to be virtuous?

Furthermore, St. Paul referring back to Dt 32:35, says: “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay’, says the Lord” (Rm 12:19).

So then, why is vengeance bad for us if it is good for God?

The paradox seems to be solved in the crucifixion: God has satisfied justice vicariously in Christ for all our offenses. Hence, there is no need to ‘get even’ when Christ, who represents the unjust offender (as well as all of us), has already done so by paying the price.

This doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be any temporal punishment, civil or spiritual. That’s an ‘evenness’ God works out with each repentant sinner through penance in this life and/or purgatory in the next. But, by virtue the vicarious satisfaction of justice in the suffering of Christ on the cross, our vengeance would be superfluous; and hence, objectively sinful.

Therefore, our vengeance on unjust offenders is a sign of our disregard for the cross of Christ. Knowledge of the power of the cross, coupled with the new dispensation of grace won for us by this New Covenant consummation, enables us to forgive offenders without hatred or inordinate desire for vengeance.

Hence, we can be like God whose love is patient and kind (1 Cor 13:1), and act as “children of [y]our heavenly Father [who] makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust” (Mt 5:45).