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Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. I am sure, like me, you have said those words thousands of times. Perhaps you were just repeating them along with everyone else. I encourage you to take a close look at what this really means. Pope Benedict XVI covers it very nicely in his book Jesus of Nazareth if you want an "expert" opinion. I am increasingly concerned that we are not paying attention to things that Jesus has specifically asked us to do and this is one of them. We know about this beautiful prayer because the apostles asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. The Lord's prayer is a definitive instruction and we are urged to listen carefully. Luke 11:4 says, "and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us." It is difficult to forgive people. We usually want to retaliate. To make them feel like we felt when they hurt us. But let's go deeper. When we "trespass" against someone we are creating hate and anger. Those things are the opposite of love and happiness and that is what God is for us. God is the truth and the way and He is love, happiness and everything good in our lives. If you have someone in debt to you, you are called to forgive them. It is a humbling experience and I am working my way down a list of folks that deserve my forgiveness. In the end, the forgiveness I offer allows me to join God in Heaven for eternal life. Isn't that our goal after all? By offering forgiveness, we are telling God that we love Him above everything else. We are so in love with God that we are not going to allow anything to cause us to miss out on a life of perfection with the Lord in Heaven. God has already forgiven our trespasses. What are we waiting for?

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