By asking God the Father to pardon us, we acknowledge before him that we are sinners. At the same time we proclaim his mercy because in his Son and through the sacraments “we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:14). Still our petition will be answered only if we for our part have forgiven first.
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2838. 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."
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2839. With bold confidence, we began praying to our Father. In begging him that his name be hallowed, we were in fact asking him that we ourselves might be always made more holy. But though we are clothed with the baptismal garment, we do not cease to sin, to turn away from God. Now, in this new petition, we return to him like the prodigal son and, like the tax collector, recognize that we are sinners before him.133 Our petition begins with a "confession" of our wretchedness and his mercy. Our hope is firm because, in his Son, "we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."134 We find the efficacious and undoubted sign of his forgiveness in the sacraments of his Church.135
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2862. The fifth petition begs God's mercy for our offences, mercy which can penetrate our hearts only if we have learned to forgive our enemies, with the example and help of Christ.
Acesse nossos estudos biblicos:
What is the role of women in society, according to Ecclesiasticus 26:1-4?
What is the importance of Christian discipline according to 1 Corinthians 9:24-27?
What is the importance of gratitude in the Christian life, according to the first letter to Timothy?
What does it mean to love God and neighbor and what is the importance of this teaching in the Bible?
The Creation of the Universe and Man: What Does the Book of Genesis Teach Us? (Genesis 1:1-31)
Forgiveness and Reconciliation: Lessons from the Meeting of Jacob and Esau (Genesis 33:1-20)
