Gospel: Matthew 6:7‐15
Jesus said to his disciples: “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. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. “This is how you are to pray: 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.
“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.”
Reflection
I often pray to God for forgiveness of what I’ve done with confidence that I will be forgiven, but after reading Matthew 6:7-15, I’ve realized that I can’t expect to truly be forgiven by God if I can’t truly forgive the people who have hurt me. It’s often hard to forgive the people who have hurt you the most, and that often leads to miscommunication and distant relationships.
If everyone in the whole world is constantly being forgiven by God, anybody has the strength to forgive a single person. This can directly be taken out of the phrase in the Lord’s Prayer, “forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who have trespassed against us.” In order to be forgiven, you must truly forgive.
Laylah Funk, 16, St. Patrick’s Parish, Kankakee
VYC delegate, 2011 and 2012
- Being Viatorian is important to me because it allows me to live in a community where I can not only express my faith, but share it with others. It provides me with numerable experiences and opportunities that I wouldn’t have gotten anywhere else.
- One thing I am doing to grow closer to God in this Lenten Season is forgiving the people who have hurt me no matter how hard it may be, just as God would forgive me.