(This article originally appeared in the TAU-USA Summer 2026  Issue #120

By Vickie Klick, OFS • Chair, NAFRA Centenary Task Force

Forgive us our trespasses:

through Your ineffable mercy through the power of the passion of Your beloved Son and through the merits and intercession of the ever blessed Virgin and all Your elect.

We all need forgiveness. Francis underscores the magnitude of God’s power to forgive and the limitlessness of His mercy. He seems to be reassuring himself, and us, that no matter how sinful we feel – and are! – the Father is ready and able to show us mercy and forgiveness.

In addition to the mercy of the Father and the passion of the Son, Francis counts on the intercession of the Virgin Mary and “all Your elect.” While he may have meant those who are already enjoying the glories of heaven, I think we should take it as an affirmation of the value of our prayers for each other. We can and should pray for our brothers and sisters in fraternity, in addition to our families, our co-workers, and everyone else with whom we are connected in any way.

While we all pray the Our Father frequently, and we mean what we pray, how much do we secretly hope that we aren’t in that much need of forgiveness? If Francis recognized himself as a sinner, where should that leave the rest of us? Our Rule emphasizes our shared need and the means for our renewal.

United by their vocation as “brothers and sisters of penance”, and motivated by the dynamic power of the gospel, let them conform their thoughts and deeds to those of Christ by means of that radical interior change which the gospel itself calls “conversion.” Human frailty makes it necessary that this conversion be carried out daily.

On this road to renewal the sacrament of reconciliation is the privileged sign of the Father’s mercy and the source of grace. [OFS Rule, Art. 7]

I became Catholic in 1982 and was professed in the Secular Franciscan Order in 1985. However, I only started receiving the sacrament of reconciliation on a regular basis in spring of 2025. I can confirm that it matters! My mindset has changed from, “Is this something I must confess?” to “What do I need to confess this time?” I also can see (some) improvement in my habitual faults, though I frequently need to return to reconciliation for a booster. It’s a good thing for me that God is so patient with us (while at the same time, I’m confessing faults caused by my own impatience). If regular confession “whether I need it or not” isn’t yet part of your spiritual practice, I strongly recommend it, at whatever interval works for you.

It’s always helpful to look at how our Constitutions elaborate on the brief paragraphs of the Rule.

Rule 7. Secular Franciscans, called in earlier times “the brothers and sisters of penance,” propose to live in the spirit of continual conversion. Some means to cultivate this characteristic of the Franciscan vocation, individually, and in fraternity, are: listening to and celebrating the Word of God; review of life; spiritual retreats; the help of a spiritual adviser, and penitential celebrations. They should approach the Sacrament of Reconciliation frequently and participate in the communal celebration of it, whether in the Fraternity, or with the whole people of God. [OFS Constitutions, Article 13.1]

Each time we pray, “Forgive us our trespasses,” let us resolve to live more fully the spirit of continual conversion to which we are called.