Daily Gospel Reflection for June 19, 2025

Join us as we reflect, ponder, and pray together inspired by today's Gospel.

One day, while complaining to my dad about how a friend treated me, my dad responded, "Do you pray the Our Father?" I said, "Yes, of course." He asked, "How does it go?" Thinking my dad had lost some of his mind, I began reciting the prayer Jesus taught us in today's Gospel reading.

When I got to the phrase, "as we forgive those who trespass against us," my dad told me to repeat that phrase. So I started the sentence over, feeling like a child rather than a mom of teens.

He stopped me again at the end of that phrase and asked if I believed this prayer Jesus taught in Matthew 6. It took me a few seconds to comprehend what he was saying.

When we pray the Our Father, we ask God to forgive us like we forgive others.

Wow. I needed that reminder. My dad's frustrating but enlightening scolding caused me to stop and seriously reflect on how many times I pray the words of the Our Father but don't think about whether I'm living the words of this prayer that I profess to believe.

I'd love to tell you that in the years since we had that exchange, I've not had any problems forgiving others. But this conversation with my dad has recurred multiple times in the years since. I'll start complaining, and he says, "What's that prayer Jesus taught us . . .?" "Daaadd," I exclaim like a petulant teenager.

But I'm now at the point where I hear my dad's voice in my head, reminding me of those words:

"As we forgive those who trespass against us."

Those words remind me that God shows me mercy and forgiveness time and time again, and He is calling me to do the same to others.

Ponder:

When you find it difficult to forgive, do the words of The Lord’s Prayer remind you of God’s mercy and forgiveness that you are to offer to others?

Pray:

Lord, when I pray the words of the Our Father, I ask that You help me take them to heart to live them in my daily life, especially when I find it difficult to forgive others the way You repeatedly forgive me.

CM DGR daily sq