Meditation…
Forgive, and you will be forgiven… 1

If we do not forgive others, and keep in our hearts anger toward them, with what feeling do we repeat in our Lord’s Prayer the phrase: “Forgive us… as we also forgive”?! When the Lord taught us this prayer, He left all its petitions without any commentary, except this one petition concerning forgiveness, saying: “For if you forgive people their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive people their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matt. 6:14–15).

It is an agreement—as Saint Augustine says—between us and God: if we forgive, He forgives us; and if we do not forgive, He does not forgive us.

This means that if we do not forgive others, we do not harm them, but rather we close the doors of the Kingdom before ourselves.

Even the forgiveness we previously received, we again lose it through our lack of forgiveness, as happened in the story of the servant who did not forgive his fellow servant: his master became angry with him and delivered him to the tormentors after he had formerly forgiven him his debt (Matt. 18:21–35).

Therefore, our brother, hasten and forgive—not for the sake of your love for your brother, but for the sake of yourself—so that the Lord may forgive you and your soul may be saved.

1. An article by His Grace Bishop Shenouda, Bishop of Education – Al-Keraza Magazine, First Year – Issue Five – June 1965.

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