RBWords

     These words follow the words of the prayer that Jesus teaches his disciples in the Sermon on the Mount.  I sometimes refer to them as the "fine print of the Lord's Prayer!"  They go back to a phrase that we probably go through without thinking about it:  "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us!"  These are not "throw away" lines. We are asking God to forgive us to the extent that we forgive others!   Later on, Matthew recounts the parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Matt. 18:21-35).  I recommend reading this parable (including Peter's question about how many times must we forgive) right after reading today's gospel scripture.  

     The essence of this teaching is that forgiveness is not something that we receive only!  It must be shared.  When we Dominican friars present ourselves at the ceremony for making profession of vows, the first thing the presider (usually the provincial) asks us is, "What do you seek?"  Our response is: "God's mercy and yours!"  Hearing those lines should remind us friars of Jesus' teaching about mercy and forgiveness!  It is not God alone who must be merciful.  We can be sure of that.  The hard part is when we are called to be merciful.  For the moment, forget about the big "villains," and think about the "lesser villains" in your life - the ones that make you say, "Grrrrr!"  There you will find the first challenge of mercy!  This can make us pay more attention the next time we pray as Jesus has taught us!  AMEN