FORMATION
FORMATION 1999
THEME NO. 5
‘Forgive us our sins as we
forgive those who sin against us‘
1. Opening Prayer
(To be introduced by the leader then
prayed by all present.)
Leader: My brothers in Christ, as the great
Jubilee draws near, let us prepare our minds and hearts and pray to the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ for the renewal of the Church and the salvation of the world.
All: Heavenly God, in Jesus Christ, the
Word made flesh, you unfold the mystery of salvation for all humanity. Forgive us our
sins, strengthen our faith and deepen our desire for conversion, that we may give witness
to your action among us and serve you in our neighbour. We ask this through Jesus who is
Lord. Amen.
2. Scripture Reading – Matthew
7: 21–27
(Read by the discussion leader or
member nominated by him.)
As the Lord has forgiven you, do the same
yourselves. Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: fornication, impurity,
passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). Now you must get rid of all such
things – anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language from your mouth. Do not
lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped the old self with its practices and have
clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the
image of its creator. In that renewal there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and
uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all! As
God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness,
humility, meekness and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint
against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must
forgive.
(The reading of scripture is followed
by several minutes silent reflection before the reading of the Message.)
3. The Message
(Read by the discussion leader or the
member nominated by him.)
‘Forgive us our sins as we forgive
those who sin against us.’ This request is surprising. If it consisted solely in the
first part of the phrase – ‘Forgive us our sins’ – it could implicitly
be included in the first three requests of the Lord’s Prayer, given that the
sacrifice of Christ is for ‘the remission of sins’. But according to the second
part of the phrase, our request will be fulfilled only on condition that we, first, must
have already responded to a requirement. The requirement is that we treat others as God
treats us. To be forgiven we must forgive. Our request has a future element to it, our
response must have already preceded it; one word links the two: ‘as’. Our
atitude to others must be as God’s attitude to us.
4. The Exercise
(Five minutes of reflection by all
members.)
How important is forgiveness and
reconciliation in my life?
Where in the Church is there a need for
reconciliation and forgiveness?
What does this statement ask of us as
Knights of the Southern Cross?
5. The Sharing
(Members share aspects of their
personal faith and its place in their lives that have come to them through the Exercise.)
6. The Word
(The basis of meditation and reflection
for the ensuing month given by the discussion leader.)
1. ‘Then his lord summoned him and said
to him, "You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.
Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?"’
(Matthew 18: 32, 33)
2. From the Catechism of the Catholic Church #
2838 – 2845
7. Closing Prayer
(Prayed by all members.)
God of Peace, you have reconciled all
things in Christ; grant your people a new vision of your forgiving love. May we receive in
repentance and reconciliation the grace that leads to peace and mutual respect. We ask
this through Jesus your Son. Amen.
