Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jesus teaches us how to pray, especially through his example. How often we have prayed the Lord's Prayer and prayed: "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us." What a powerful line of mercy. Do we follow what it says to us? Our Gospel passage that we hear from St. Luke, points to the abundance of God's mercy. The Lord gives us what we need each day for our service to him. As the Lord's Prayer reminds us, we condition our reception of God's mercy on our willingness to forgive others. This phrase of the prayer should give a moment's hesitation to make sure that we really understand what we are asking. Every time we pray that prayer we ask God to forgive us in the same way that we forgive others. It is a pretty tall order. But it does make sure that our own attitude is aligned with God's. In him mercy and forgiveness abound.