594. Why do we say “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us”?
(Comp 594) 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.
“In brief”
(CCC 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.
To deepen and explain
(CCC 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."
Reflection
(CCC 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 (Cf. Lk 15:11-32, 18:13).
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" (Col 1:14; Eph 1:7). We find the efficacious and
undoubted sign of his forgiveness in the sacraments of his Church (Cf. Mt
26:28; Jn 20:23).
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