In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 6, Jesus teaches His disciples how to pray. He gives them a pray you may be familiar with. We call it the Our Father. Maybe it was the first prayer you ever learned.
So you know the Our Father. It ends with, "but deliver us from evil." But do you know what Jesus said immediately after that? Most folks don't. And it should rock you to the core. Jesus said, "If you forgive men their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you don't forgive men, neither will your Father forgive you your transgressions." I often refer to this as the forgotten verse of Scripture.
Let me ask you, do you see any wiggle room in that? It sounds pretty cut and dried to me. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. The opposite is also true; don't forgive and you won't be forgiven. We can be awfully good at holding grudges, at withholding forgiveness. That is a deadly mistake. Is there someone in your life today that you need to forgive? It may be the most difficult thing you'll ever do. But do it you must. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
Father, give us the grace we need to forgive others, so that we may be forgiven by you. Amen.
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