There was once a man whose enemy was an important official. Due to political troubles at the time, the unfortunate fellow killed the official.

Eventually, a friend of the murderer told the authorities what had happened. The murderer was then arrested and condemned to death.

While in prison, the man thought more seriously about his crime. By God’s grace, he regretted that he had murdered his enemy. Sadly, he didn’t respond to all the graces God was trying to give him. While he repented sincerely of his terrible sin, he was very angry with the friend who had turned him in to the authorities. The criminal refused to forgive that man.

Meanwhile, the time of his execution was approaching. He needed to confess his mortal sin of murder before he died and stood before God. The chaplain of the prison tried as hard as he could to convince the poor criminal to go to Confession.

But to his exhortations, the unhappy man replied, "I cannot go to confession. Even though I am sorry for my crime, I will not pardon my false friend. My confession would be bad."

A good Sister of Charity knew about the poor prisoner, and would come to see him. Her "infinite" kindness and gentleness toward him won his heart. But even though he liked her so much, he would not listen even to her entreaties when she tried to get him to make a good confession.

The night before his execution, she made a last, desperate attempt.

"Do you know who I am?" she asked him.

"Yes, Sister, you are an Angel from Heaven."

"No, I am no Angel from Heaven, but I am the sister of the man whom you killed. I have pardoned you, I have fasted and prayed, and done all I could to save your soul."

The man stared. The sister of his murdered enemy! And she had forgiven him! He himself knew the heroism required to merely pardon one’s enemy. She had not only forgiven him, but she had treated him so kindly. And now here she was, begging him to forgive his enemy because she did not want him, the one who took her brother’s life, to go to hell. Amazed, the poor man fell on his knees. In a flood of tears, he kissed her feet, and finally yielded to grace.

"Yes, yes, Angel of God! For you are, indeed, an Angel. I forgive my enemy with all my heart."

And then, overcome with emotion and contrition, he begged her to forgive him.

Her forgiveness was truly heroic! First she pardoned the man who had murdered her brother. Then, she forgave him again when, as an obstinate sinner, he had caused her such anxiety by almost losing his soul.

Certainly it was this great virtue of courageous forgiveness that saved the criminal, and won tremendous merits for the good nun. To accomplish wonders for a person - changing his life, or his very soul - it’s not the quantity so much as the quality of virtue that counts! And as the nun’s forgiveness was a small imitation of Jesus’ forgiveness of His enemies, it is not surprising that her heroic pardon obtained for the murderer what Jesus Himself died for: the salvation of that man’s soul.