We are fools when we deny forgiveness

BY UGONNA JOHN BOSCO EZEOMEDO

The phrase, ‘as we forgive those who trespass against us’ in the Lord’s Prayer is really a difficult part of the prayer, especially when it comes to its implementation.

“…Christ spent much of his earthly life and ministry teaching us the importance of forgiveness.”

I always feel guilty when praying that line because I know I usually fail meeting this simple request which God asks from me as I ask him to grant me pardon and forgiveness for my sins.

Sometimes I have cold feet about sacramental confession. A voice in me will ask why I think that I should deserve forgiveness when I have not sincerely forgiven others.

Christ knows that many of the major troubles in the world today have their roots in unforgiving hearts in our attitude and in our inability to tolerate others, especially those who go against us or those who are simply different from us in one way or the other.

Our mindsets are by default conditioned by our selfish nature, so we find faults in others and thereby acquire excuses for our own faults.

It’s not surprising that the phrase as we forgive those who trespass against us should appear in the Lord’s Prayer because Christ spent much of his earthly life and ministry teaching us the importance of forgiveness. As followers of Christ it should then be our attitude to offer forgiveness to those who trespass against us at all times, and to do so unconditionally.

Since we invariably also offend God, and then run to him for forgiveness, we should be able to show God that we really know the meaning of the forgiveness which we are requesting from him, by offering the same to people who offend us.

We should always meditate on the words of the Our Father, this wonderful prayer, and act accordingly. When we freely forgive, we obtain forgiveness, from others and, most importantly, from God.

But if we close our hearts and minds to others whom we are called to forgive, then are we not making fools of ourselves when we asks God to grant us pardon?