TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2010 - FIRST WEEK IN LENT 

ISAIAH 55:         

Thus says the LORD:  Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down and do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, giving seed to the one who sows and bread to the one who eats, So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it.  
                                             
          +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

MATTHEW 6:7-15        
        
Jesus said to his disciples:  “In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.        

 “This is how you are to pray:        
            Our Father who art in heaven,
              hallowed be thy name,
              thy Kingdom come,
            thy will be done,
              on earth as it is in heaven.
            Give us this day our daily bread;
            and forgive us our trespasses,
              as we forgive those who trespass against us;
              and lead us not into temptation,
             but deliver us from evil.               

“If you forgive men their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”
                                    
               +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++                               

We pray the Lord's Prayer so often that we seldom think about the words we are praying.  It would be good for us to take the time this week to meditate on the words of the Our Father.  More than just a rote prayer, the Our Father is the perfect style of prayer.  We begin the prayer with praise and worship of God and a professed willingness to do his will in our lives.  We ask for what we need this day to live the Gospel and we ask for forgiveness for the times we have failed to live up to our calling.  We pray that we, too, will be as forgiving of others as God is of us.  We ask for guidance from God that we will avoid unnecessary temptations and that we will be protected from the clutches of the devil.

There is an important part of the Lord's Prayer that we move through quickly and perhaps don't think about enough to realize its impact.  We ask forgiveness of God and then put a restriction on that forgiveness, "forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us."  Are we sure we want God to only forgive us our sins as we forgive others?  Just in case the disciples didn't get that part of the prayer, Jesus paraphrases it: “If you forgive men their transgressions, your heavenly will forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.” 

During our Lenten journey, as we reflect on our need for forgiveness, we are called to reflect also on how well we forgive those who have harmed us in any way.  How ready are we to forgive others of transgressions large and small?  How willing are we to give others another chance?  Isn't that what we are asking of God for ourselves?  If we truly want to purify ourselves of all our sins and prepare ourselves for the celebration of our redemption, our first step must be to be sure we have forgiven everyone who has done wrong to us in any way.  This may be more difficult than we think but it is necessary as Jesus tells us in today's Gospel.  If we are not willing to forgive those who have wronged us in any way, how can we ask God to forgive us our sins?  How can we pray the Our Father while lacking the willingness to forgive our brothers and sisters?

          ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Lord Jesus, we hold onto grudges and refuse to forgive out of selfishness and weakness.  Strengthen us that we may be able to forgive as you forgive.  This Lent, may we truly become forgiving people and so receive your forgiveness with pure hearts.