Hidden within the Lord's Prayer is a clear promise that we will forgive other people.
And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us
Do we ever stop at the second part of this line and meditate on it?
As we forgive
The Catechism of the Catholic Church dwells on this topic at length and points out that this phrase is profound:
This petition is astonishing. If it consisted only of the first phrase, "And forgive us our trespasses," it might have been included, implicitly, in the first three petitions of the Lord's Prayer, since Christ's sacrifice is "that sins may be forgiven." But, 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, for the two parts are joined by the single word "as."
The key to remember is that while God's love and mercy are unfathomable, he asks us to imitate his example, forgiving others as he forgives us.
It may seem like an impossible standard to live up to, but the good news is that God sent his Spirit to us to make it possible:
This "as" is not unique in Jesus' teaching: "You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect"; "Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful"; "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another." 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.
Furthermore, not only do we have to forgive those who have wronged us, we also have to forgive our enemies, those we dislike the most:
Christian prayer extends to the forgiveness of enemies, transfiguring the disciple by configuring him to his Master. Forgiveness is a high-point of Christian prayer; only hearts attuned to God's compassion can receive the gift of prayer. Forgiveness also bears witness that, in our world, love is stronger than sin. The martyrs of yesterday and today bear this witness to Jesus. Forgiveness is the fundamental condition of the reconciliation of the children of God with their Father and of men with one another.
The next time you pray the Our Father, think about the words that you are saying and speak from the heart.
If you have a hard time forgiving someone, ask for the Holy Spirit's help, as forgiving our enemies often requires supernatural strength and courage.
