Mar
03
2020
By Anonymous (not verified)
"If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you." - Mt 6:14
Before today's Gospel, Jesus was teaching generally about fasting, almsgiving, and prayer. Now, Jesus gets specific. He utters what we know as the Lord's Prayer.
Would you expect the Catechism of the Catholic Church, a book of teachings and doctrines, to use words like "astonishing" and "daunting"? Well, that's what it says about the petition "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." Read on:
Before today's Gospel, Jesus was teaching generally about fasting, almsgiving, and prayer. Now, Jesus gets specific. He utters what we know as the Lord's Prayer.
Would you expect the Catechism of the Catholic Church, a book of teachings and doctrines, to use words like "astonishing" and "daunting"? Well, that's what it says about the petition "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." Read on:
This petition is astonishing. ... According to the second phrase, our petition will not be heard unless we have first met a strict requirement. Our petition looks to the future, but our response must come first ... .
Now - and this is daunting - this outpouring of mercy cannot penetrate our hearts as long as we have not forgiven those who have trespassed against us. ... In refusing to forgive our brothers and sisters, our hearts are closed and their hardness makes them impervious to the Father's merciful love; but in confessing our sins, our hearts are opened to his grace (2838-2840).
Notice that the "daunting" part is set off by dashes. This text was meant to be noticed.
Prayer: Lord, please increase Your mercy in me, so that I, in turn, may show that mercy to my neighbor.
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