A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew

Jesus said to his disciples: “If you forgive men their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”

In today’s Gospel reading from Matthew, Jesus follows his teaching on almsgiving by showing the disciples how to pray. The Our Father, the perfect prayer that Jesus gives to us as a way to communicate with God, is a reaching out to Our Father, who knows what we need before we ask him. Jesus tells us: “In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them.” In recognizing that God gives us everything we need every day and forgives our trespasses, the Our Father calls us to be merciful just as God is merciful: “Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church says this about forgiving others: “It is impossible to keep the Lord’s commandment by imitating the divine model from outside; there has to be a vital participation, coming from the depths of the heart, in the holiness and the mercy and the love of our God. Only the Spirit by whom we live can make ‘ours’ the same mind that was in Christ Jesus. Then the unity of forgiveness becomes possible and we find ourselves ‘forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave’ us.”

God, help me understand that imitation of your divine forgiveness comes from the heart through the grace and mercy you pour forth. I ask you for the grace to have the mind of Christ in praying the Our Father and in forgiving others. Your Son called us to be perfect just as you are perfect. Perfect in me the means to receive your love so that I can be a means of it to others in mercy and forgiveness.

Work with me today, Lord, and work through me. And let me say at the end of the day that I have known the Father’s embrace.

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Readings

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