Forgive Us As We Have Forgiven Others, by Randall Smith

When I was in college, not yet a Catholic but starting to “hang around” with Catholics, I was taken aback one day when I heard the words, “forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”  I heard those words growing up, but their significance had never quite hit me.  “Forgive me, God, the way I have forgiven others?”  Given how bad I am at forgiving others, that seems more like a prayer for condemnation rather than forgiveness.  It seems like the prayer should be: “Forgive me, Lord, a whole lot better than I forgive others.”

But that’s not what Jesus said.  And there is something instructive about saying that prayer and taking it seriously.  It challenges you to think: “How well do I forgive people?”  Because, if I’m not forgiving others, what do I expect God to do?  Or to put this another way: Given how much God has forgiven me – like a $10 billion debt that I could never repay – how in the world could I justify not forgiving someone a puny $10 debt? …

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