‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’” Matthew 6:9-13
‘AS’ is such a small word but in this prayer captured by St. Matthew, I’d argue there may be not bigger, weightier or strong a word in all humanity.
Jesus doesn’t say “forgive us our debts then we’ll forgive”, or “forgive us our debts, we’ll forgive..”. He put God’s justice into this prayer, hinged upon this simple word, “as”.
Many of Jesus’ teachings and parables rest upon ‘as’ in the Lord’s Prayer.
He immediately goes into a teaching as He finishes sharing the prayer.
“If you forgive others for the wrongs they have done, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.” Matthew 6:14-15.
“Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive others.”
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” John 13:34
“Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”” Matthew 18:32-35
Divine Mercy is free and will pour in super-over-abundance to the sinner. Those who have the most debts (sins) to God, have right first to His Mercy (Diary # 723)
Two things though change your access to Divine Mercy. First, simply not asking. A soul must be repentant to receive Divine Mercy. Second, once received, the soul MUST give it away. The soul must forgive others as he is forgiven. He must love others as he has been loved. Ask those on the Jesus’ left at the Judgment of the Nations (Matthew 25:31-46).
Do you impede your ‘right’ to God’s Mercy by your unwillingness to forgive? Is there someone you need to forgive before you come to the Mercy seat of the Savior? (Look in the mirror first)
“But I say this to you: Anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment — Therefore, when offering your gift at the altar, if you should remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there at the altar and first go to be reconciled with your brother. Then return and offer your gift.” Matthew 5:22, 23-24
“The greater the sinner, the greater the right he has to My mercy” Divine Mercy in My Soul # 723
“AS” is a huge word that you will hear again spoken by our Lord, as Just Judge, at your judgment. Will He say “as you have loved/forgiven, so you are forgiven. Welcome home.” Or, “as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me. Be cast into the fire.”