It is a plea also that the whole world will some day be able to partake of this divine banquet. Just as the body craves and needs material food, so the soul needs the light and guidance of God s revealed word, to know Him Who is the Way to the Father. Each day, each minute of the day, we are dependent on God far more than we realize for the countless graces we receive in every conscious thought and deed. It is not only a plea for forgiveness, but that we have the charity, humility and spiritual strength to forgive those who have offended us. Only the Holy Spirit by whom we live can transform our heart to forgive as Christ did on Calvary.
Forgiveness bears witness that, in our world, love is stronger than sin. . . .
This petition is an appeal to God s protective providence. God never tempts in the first manner, but does frequently in the second. He uses persons and situations to test our patience, our humility, our purity, our faith, our hope, our love of Him. Without this kind of temptation or trial there would be little progress in virtue, and we would not be aware of our own weaknesses. Consequently, in this petition we do not ask that we not be tempted, but that we not be overcome by temptation.