Lecture 3 — The Our Father

^6:9^ Therefore you will pray thus: our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name. [n. 583]

^6:10^ Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

^6:11^ Give us this day our supersubstantial bread.

^6:12^ And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.

^6:13^ And lead us not into temptation. But deliver us from evil. Amen.

^6:14^ For if you will forgive men their offences, your heavenly Father will forgive you also your offences.

^6:15^ But if you will not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive you your offences.

583. Therefore you will pray thus. Above the Lord taught the manner of praying, namely that we avoid both the vanity of the hypocrites and the verbosity of the gentiles. Here he teaches what we should ask in prayer, and concerning this he does two things: first, he gives the title of the prayer, second, he gives the prayer. But he continues to the preceding things in this way: I told you **when you pray, you will not be as the hypocrites **(Matt 6:5); therefore, so that you may pray with few words, you will pray thus.

And note that the Lord does not say, pray this, but pray thus: for he does not prohibit us from praying with other words, but he teaches the mode of praying. And just as Augustine in his letter to Proba On Prayer says: no one prays as he should unless he asks something that is contained in the Lord’s prayer. But it is fitting that we pray by those words, for as Cyprian says in his book On the Lord’s Prayer: it is a friendly and intimate prayer to ask the Lord with his own words, and he gives the example that it is the usual way among lawyers who put words into the mouths of those who must speak in court. Hence this prayer is the most sure, as it was formed by our advocate who is the wisest, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col 2:3). Hence Cyprian says: since we have in Christ an advocate with the Father for our sins, when we ask for our misdeeds, we utter the words of our advocate; and we have an advocate with the Father (1 John 2:1). Thus it is said, let us go with confidence to the throne of grace (Heb 4:16); and let him ask in faith (Jas 1:6).

And this prayer has three things: brevity, perfection, and efficacy. Brevity, for two reasons: that all may easily learn it, both great and small, for the same is Lord over all, rich unto all who call upon him (Rom 10:12); second, that he might give the surety of obtaining with ease. It is also perfect, hence: the consumption abridged (Isa 10:23), and just as Augustine says, whatever can be contained in other prayers is wholly contained in this; hence he says that if we pray fittingly and rightly, nevertheless whatever words we use, we say nothing else but what is included in the Lord’s prayer: perfect are the works of the Lord (Deut 33:4). It is efficacious because prayer, according to Damascene, is a petition of suitable things from God; you ask and you receive not because you ask wrongly (Jas 4:3). But knowing what to ask for is a difficult thing, just as knowing what to desire: for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself asks for us (Rom 8:26). And because God taught us this prayer, therefore it is the most efficacious, and thus it is said in Luke: Lord, teach us to pray (Luke 11:1).

584. But the Lord does two things in this prayer: first, he gives the prayer; second, he assigns the reason for the prayer, at for if you will forgive men their offences.

But it should be known that in any speech, even those of rhetoricians, before requests are made, good will is won. Hence as is done in a speech that is made to men, the same must be done in a speech to God, but with different intentions in each, for with men good will is won by persuading the mind; but with God by lifting our mind to him. Therefore the Lord sets down two things to capture good will which are needed for someone praying: for it is necessary that he trust the one he asks and that the other wishes to give and is able to; and thus he says Father and who art in heaven. But saying Father avails in five ways. The first is for teaching the faith: for faith is needed in the one praying.

But there were three errors by which prayer was excluded: and two completely destroyed prayer, and the third gave more than was due. And those errors are excluded by his saying our Father. For some people said God did not have care of human things: God has abandoned the earth and does not see it (Ezek 9:9); hence according to this anything asked of God is in vain. Others said that God has providence, but this providence imposes a necessity on things. The third error gave more, for it said that God disposes all things by his providence, but that through prayer the divine disposition is changed.

But these errors are excluded by the fact that he says our Father who art in heaven, for if he is a father, he has providence: but your providence, O Father, governs it (Wis 14:3). Likewise the second error is excluded: for ‘father’ is said by a son, and ‘lord’ by a slave; therefore in the fact that we say ‘Father,’ we call ourselves free children. For when was it ever found in Sacred Scripture that God is called father of insensible creatures, with one exception: who is the Father of the rain? (Job 38:28). Therefore, father is said for a son, and by this we call ourselves free children: for ‘son’ includes the notion of freedom; therefore necessity is not imposed upon us.

But by the fact that he says in heaven a changeable disposition is excluded. But prayer avails so that we might believe that God disposes all things in a way that befits the natures of things: for it is by providence that man pursues his end through his own actions; hence prayer neither changes providence nor is it outside providence, but falls under it. First, therefore, it avails to the teaching of the faith. Second, for the sustenance of hope: for if he is a Father, he wishes to give, because, it is said below that if you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children (Matt 7:11). Third, for exciting charity: for it is natural that a father love his son and vice versa: be imitators of God, as beloved children (Eph 5:1). Therefore by this we are provoked to imitation: for a son should imitate his father as much as he can: you would call me Father (Jer 3:19). Fourth, we are provoked to humility: if then I am a Father, where is the honor due me? (Mal 1:6). Fifth, by this our affections are directed to our neighbor, is there not one Father of us all? (Mal 2:10).

But why do we not say my Father? For two reasons: first, because Christ wanted to reserve this to himself as his own, for he is Son by nature, but we by adoption, which is shared by all: I am ascending to my Father and yours (John 20:17). Second, because according to Chrysostom, the Lord teaches us not to make individual prayers but to pray communally for the whole people: which prayer is indeed more acceptable to God. Hence Chrysostom says: it is a sweeter prayer before the Lord, not which necessity sends up, but which charity does; and pray for one another (Jas 5:16).

Accordingly, who art in heaven belongs to winning the good will of the listener. Which is explained in two ways. First, literally, so that we understand the physical heavens; not that he could be enclosed there, for do I not fill heaven and earth? Says the Lord (Jer 23:24). But it is said on account of his eminence over creation according to Isaiah: heaven is my throne and the earth my footstool (Isa 66:1). Likewise by these words those who cannot be raised above the level of corporeal things are given a new idea; and thus Augustine says that this is the reason we pray facing east, for from the east the heaven arises; and just as the sky is above our bodies, so is God above our spirit. Hence it is given to be understood that our spirit should be converted to God himself, as our body is turned to heaven in praying. But he says who art in heaven, as your intention is raised from earthly things: into an inheritance that is . . . unfading, kept in heaven for you (1 Pet 1:4).

Or, by heaven is understood the saints, according to Isa 1:2: hear O heavens; or: but you dwell in the holy places (Ps 22:3). And he says this to obtain greater confidence, because it is not far from us: you are among us, Lord (Jer 14:9).

585. Hallowed be. Here he sets down petitions, and we may say them first in general, then specifically. In these petitions we must consider three things. For a petition is in service of a desire: for we ask for those things that we wish to have; but in this prayer the entirety of what we desire is contained. Second, the order in which we should desire is contained in it. Third is that these petitions correspond to both gifts and beatitudes.

But it should be known that naturally man desires two things, namely, to seek good and avoid evil. But four goods are set forth here as things to be desired. But desire tends toward an end rather than toward those things ordered to the end; but the last end of all things is God; hence the first desirable thing should be to honor God: do all things for the honor of God (1 Cor 10:31). And this is what we ask first with hallowed be your name. But among things that pertain to us, the last end is eternal life; and this we ask when we say, your kingdom come. The third thing we should seek concerns things for the sake of the end, namely, that we have virtue and good merits, and this is at your will be done; and what we ask for in virtue is nothing but this. Therefore our beatitude is directed toward God, and our virtues toward that beatitude. But it is necessary to have reinforcement, whether temporal or spiritual, like the sacraments of the Church, and this is what we ask at our . . . bread, external or sacramental. In these four things every good is included. But man avoids evil as it is an obstruction to good. But the first good, namely divine honor, cannot be obstructed, because if justice is done God is honored; if evil is done, he is likewise honored in that he punishes it, although he is not honored as much in the one sinning. But sin prevents beatitude, and thus he removes this first by saying and forgive us our debts. Temptation is opposed to the good of virtue, and thus we ask and lead us not into temptation; or any defect that goes against the necessities of life, at but deliver us from evil. Therefore it is clear that whatever is desired, the Lord’s prayer contains in its entirety.

And it should be known that the Holy Spirit can be connected with these petitions, but in a different way, by ascending and descending: ascending, as the first petition is related to fear which causes poverty of the spirit and makes us seek the honor of God, and thus we say hallowed be; descending, so that we say that the last gift, namely the wisdom making us sons of God, is related to this petition. But we will see about this petition hallowed be.

However, it seems to be unfitting: for the name of God is always holy. And it should be said that this has been explained many ways by the saints. First, by Augustine, and I believe that his is the most literal: hallowed be, that is the name that is always holy, should be held holy among men; and this is to honor God: for by this God’s glory does not increase, but our recognition of it: so use them to show your glory to us (Sir 36:4). And fittingly enough after Our Father, who art in heaven, he says, hallowed be, for nothing proves so well the sons of God: for a good son shows honor to his father. According to Chrysostom: hallowed be, by our works, as it were: make us so live that by our works your name appears holy (cf. 1 Pet 3:15). Or according to Cyprian: hallowed be, i.e., sanctify us in your name: sanctify them in your name (John 17:17); and he will be a sanctification to you (Isa 8:14).

And it should be known that hallowed be is first understood as that those who are not holy might become holy: for this prayer is made for the whole human race. Second, hallowed be, i.e., they persevere in holiness; third, hallowed be, so that if anything is mixed in with their holiness, it might be removed: for every day we need sanctification because of our daily sins.

586. Your kingdom come. This petition can correspond to either the gift of understanding which cleanses the heart, or to piety. Your kingdom come: according to Chrysostom and Augustine, the kingdom of God is eternal life, and I believe that this is the literal explanation; therefore we ask your kingdom come, i.e., make us attain and share in eternal beatitude, as later: **come, you blessed of my father, receive the kingdom prepared for you **(Matt 25:34); or Luke: and I confer on you, as my father has conferred on me, a kingdom (Luke 22:29).

Or, another way, also according to Augustine: your kingdom come. Christ began to reign from the time that he redeemed the world: all power. . . is given to me (Matt 28:18); therefore your kingdom come, i.e., the consummation of your kingdom. And this will be when he puts his enemies under his feet; hence your kingdom, i.e.: Lord, may you come to judge so that the glory of your kingdom appears: when these things begin . . . your redemption is near (Luke 21:28). And the saints long for the coming of Christ, for then they will possess perfect glory: and not only for me but for those also who love his coming (2 Tim 4:8).

But to the contrary it is said: woe to those who desire the day of the Lord (Amos 5:18), for according to Jerome, it belongs only to a secure conscience not to fear the judge.

Or your kingdom come, i.e., may the reign of sin be destroyed, and you, Lord, reign over us: for when we serve justice then God reigns, but when we serve sin, the devil does: let no sin reign in your body (Rom 6:12); they have not rejected you but me, from reigning over them (1 Sam 8:7).

And note that they could ask justly enough your kingdom come who proved themselves sons by saying our Father: for the inheritance is due to sons, but that kingdom is in heaven. Hence you cannot go there unless you are made heavenly. And thus he adds your will be done, i.e.: make us imitators of the heavenly ones, just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, let us also bear the image of the man of heaven (1 Cor 15:49).

And note that he does not say your will be done, as: may God do our will, but rather: may his will be fulfilled through us, which wills all men to be saved (1 Tim 2:4; 1 Thess 4:3); teach me to do your will (Ps 143:10). In which is destroyed the error of Pelagius, who said that we did not need divine help.

587. As it is in heaven. This is explained in many ways by Augustine. First thus: as it is in heaven, i.e., as angels in heaven do your will, so may we fulfill it on earth; it is said of the angels, his ministers that do his will (Ps 103:21). In which is destroyed the error of Origen who suggested that an angel could sin.

Or another way: your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, i.e., as in Christ, so also in the Church. For from heaven the earth is made fruitful: hence also the gentiles called the gods of heaven male and the gods of the earth female: I came down from heaven . . . to do the will of him who sent me (John 6:38).

Or by the heavens are understood the saints of whom it is said: our citizenship is in heaven (Phil 3:20). But as the heaven is to the earth, so are the saints to sinners; as though: Lord, convert sinners to doing your will.

588. Or your will be done: for as heaven is compared to the earth in the world, so is the spirit to the flesh in man; the spirit, inasmuch as is in it, does the will of God, but the flesh revolts: I see another law in my members (Rom 7:23); create a clean heart in me (Ps 51:10). All these petitions are partly begun now, but in the future they will be fulfilled.

But Chrysostom refers as it is in heaven to all the foregoing things; hence your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven, and so on with the others. Again, according to Chrysostom, note that he did not say, may we sanctify, nor sanctify, but took a middle way; nor did he say: let us go to the kingdom but your kingdom come. So in all things he held a middle way, and this because two things are required for our salvation: the grace of God and free will; hence if he had said, ‘sanctify’, no place would be given to free will; if ‘may we do it’, all would be given to free will, but he spoke in the mean, and it is: your will be done.

589. Our . . . bread. After he taught us to seek the glory of God, life eternal, and the working of virtue by which we merit life eternal, here he teaches us to seek all the things that are necessary for the present life. But this, our bread, is explained in four ways: for it can be explained by four kinds of bread. First, the bread that is Christ: I am the bread of life (John 6:35), which is especially the bread according to which he is contained under the sacrament of the altar: the bread which I give is my flesh (John 6:52), and again my flesh is true food (John 6:56).

And it says our, for it is not for anyone but the faithful: unto us a child is given (Isa 9:5). For by becoming a member of Christ in baptism, one can partake of this bread: and thus in no way should it be given to unbaptized unbelievers.

590. Supersubstantial bread. Jerome says that in Greek this is ‘epiousion’, and Symmachus translated it ‘special’ or ‘extraordinary’; but the old translation has daily. But what would be supersubstantial, that is, above all substances, appears in Ephesians: which he wrought in Christ . . . setting him . . . above all principality (Eph 1:20–21). He says daily, for it should be received every day, but not by everyone; hence it is said in the book On Church Dogmas: I neither praise nor blame this.

But it should be received daily in the Church, or at least it may be received spiritually by the faithful in faith. But in the eastern church it is not received daily in church, for the Mass is not celebrated daily, but only once a week. But because the Church allows it, it suffices that they receive spiritually every day, and not sacramentally.

591. Give us. If it is ours, how does he say, give us? Cyprian: Give us, i.e., make us so live that we can receive this bread to our benefit; hence whoever asks this, asks nothing else but perseverance in good, namely so that nothing contrary will be mixed in with his sanctity: for whoever eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks judgment to himself (1 Cor 11:29).

592. Give us this day our supersubstantial bread. Here Augustine objects that this prayer is said at every hour of the day, even during Compline; do we ask even then that he give us this bread to eat? But it should be said that this day is taken in two ways: for sometimes it means a definite day, sometimes all this present life; Hebrews touches the definite today (Heb 3:13), hence: grant that in all this present life we may partake of this bread.

And for this reason he says give us this day, because that sacramental bread is only necessary in this life: for when we will see him as he is, we will not need sacraments and signs. Hence this singular and extraordinary bread is only necessary in the present: and now we receive it daily in species, but then we will have it unceasingly.

Second, by bread is understood God, namely, in his divinity: blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God (Luke 14:15); mortals ate of the bread of angels (Ps 78:25). Therefore give us today our supersubstantial bread, namely so that we may enjoy it according to the manner of this present life.

Third, the precepts of God can be understood, which are the bread of wisdom: come, eat of my bread (Prov 9:5), for he eats who keeps the commands of wisdom: my food is to do the will of him who sent me (John 4:34). These divine precepts now are bread, for they are ground with a certain difficulty, by considering and doing, but afterward they will be a drink, for they will refresh without difficulty.

Fourth, it is understood literally as physical bread. For the Lord had said your will be done, and he wanted us to be heavenly in fulfillment of the divine will; but mindful of our frailty, he teaches us to ask even for the temporal goods that are necessary to the support of life; hence he does not teach us to seek splendid or superfluous things, but necessities: but if we have food . . . we are content (1 Tim 6:8); thus Jacob asked: if you will give me bread to eat (Gen 28:20).

593. But he says our for two reasons. So that no one will amass temporal things to himself, according to Chrysostom, first because no one should eat bread from plunder, but from one’s own labor; second because we ought to receive temporal goods that are given for necessity so that we may share them with others: if I have eaten my morsel alone . . . let my shoulder fall from its joint (Job 31:17–22).

And Augustine says in the book to Proba On Prayer, that whatever is chief and most excellent in all particulars, represents the whole to our faculty: for bread is most necessary to man: the chief thing for man’s life is water and bread (Sir 29:21). And this is supersubstantial for it chiefly pertains to necessity.

594. But if he says: daily, then there are two reasons, according to Cyprian. First, that you not seek temporal goods for a long time, for otherwise you would act contrary to yourself: for you say, your kingdom come, but as long as we are in the body we are away from the Lord (2 Cor 5:6). Hence by saying your kingdom come, and seeking a long life, you act against yourself. Or he says **daily **against the prodigals who spend excessively and do not use daily bread, which nourishment suffices for one day.

But if it is ours, why does he say give us? For two reasons, according to Chrysostom. First, temporal goods are given to good and bad men, but in different ways: for they are to the benefit of the good, but to the blame of the wicked who use them badly; hence to the wicked it is not given because they abuse it, and this is done not by God but by the devil. And he says that it is the same as if someone offered bread to a priest to consecrate and afterward he asked for it back; he could say: give me the bread that is my possession from sanctification.

595. He says **today **because he does not want us to ask for things for a long time. But Augustine raises the question that the Lord afterward teaches us not to have anxiety about temporal things: Therefore do not worry, saying: what will we eat? (Matt 6:31).Therefore it seems that we should not pray for temporal things. And he answers that we can pray for every licitly desirable thing, for we expect to receive desirable things from God, and whatever we expect from God we can ask for; and this is not only in extreme necessity, but also what befits our state. But it is one thing to desire, another to worry about something as if it were the last end, for this is what God forbids, as will be said later.

But again it is asked concerning give us this day, for it seems that we should not desire beyond one day; therefore all those who desire otherwise sin, and then human life will perish, for no one will harvest in summer so that he may eat in winter. And it should be said that the Lord does not intend to forbid someone from thinking about the future, but he prohibits being seized by anxiety ahead of time: for if now concern presses something upon you, you should do it, but it cannot press upon you what is to come.

596. And forgive us. Here he begins to place petitions which belong to the removal of evil. And first he lists the one by which the particular evil is removed, namely, the evil of guilt; hence and forgive us. It is repugnant that a man who lives by God’s things would live against God. Debts are sins, for we are obligated to God in debt for our sins: for if you have received anything unjustly from anyone, you are bound to restitution; and because when you sin you usurp what is God’s, for it is of God that every will be ruled according to the will of God, therefore you take away what is God’s and you are bound to restitution. But you are absolved when you endure something against your will according to God’s will, as is said later: **I forgave you all that debt **(Matt 18:32).Therefore, forgive us our debts, that is, sins: forgive me that I may be refreshed (Ps 39:13).

And with this word two heresies are refuted, that of Pelagius and that of Novatian. Pelagius said that some perfect men in this life could live without sin and fulfill Ephesians: so that he may present to himself a glorious church, having no spot or wrinkle (Eph 5:27). But if so then we could not say forgive us: a just man shall fall seven times (Prov 24:16); if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves (1 John 1:8). Novatian said that a man who sins mortally after baptism cannot do penance. But if so, then we would say forgive us in vain: he gave to them power to become sons of God (John 1:12), namely, by adoption in grace.

597. As we forgive our debtors. But debtors can be of two kinds: either because they have sinned against us, or because they owe money; but he does not advise us to forgive this second kind of debt, but any sins, even to the loss of our temporal goods: for it is unfitting to ask pardon from God and not to give it to a fellow slave: A man keeps anger against a man and expects healing from God? (Sir 28:3); and pay your neighbor again in due time (Sir 29:2).

But what is to be said of those who do not wish to forgive and nevertheless say Our Father? It seems that they should never say it because they lie; hence it is said that some people omitted that phrase as we also forgive. But this is disproved by Chrysostom in two ways: first, because it does not preserve the Church’s form in praying, second, because the prayer is not received by God when what Christ dictated is not preserved. Hence it should be said that he does not sin by saying Our Father, however much he may be in rancor and grave sin, for such people should do whatever they can of good, both alms and prayers and such things that dispose one to the recovery of grace. Nor does he lie, for this prayer is not founded on our proper person but on the whole Church, and certainly the Church forgives the sins of all who are in the Church; but such a person loses the fruit of the prayer, for only those who forgive obtain the fruit.

But it seems that not only those who forgive offenses obtain this fruit. But it should be known that Augustine resolves this as it pertains to the present, for it was said above concerning the love of enemies that God wants us to forgive offenses to the extent that he forgives our sins: but he only forgives those asking; and thus whoever is so disposed that he is prepared to give pardon to anyone who asks, he will not lose the fruit of this prayer as long as in general he does not have hatred for anyone, as was said above.

598. And lead us not. Here he sets down another petition. Another text has and do not inflict on us, and another has and do not allow us, and here is the explanation for it: for God tempts no one, although he permits him to be tempted. And he does not say: do not permit us to be tempted, for temptation is a useful thing, and one is tempted so that what is known to God becomes known to him and others: what does he know, who has not been tried? (Sir 34:9). But he says, lead us not, that is, do not permit us to succumb, as if someone said: I want to be heated in fire but not burned up: God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above what you can bear (1 Cor 10:13).

In this telling the error of Pelagius is refuted in two respects: for he said that a man could persevere by his free will without the help of God, which is nothing but not succumbing to temptation. Likewise he said that God could not change the wills of men. But if so, he would not say and lead us not into temptation, which is the same as: make us not consent; therefore it is in his power to change the will or not to change it: it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work (Phil 2:13).

599. But deliver us. This is the last petition. Deliver us, from evil past, present, and future, guilt and punishment, and from every evil. Augustine: in these words every Christian in every kind of tribulation pours out his tears and groans: deliver me from my enemies (Ps 59:1); who are you that you fear a mortal man? (Isa 51:12).

600. Amen, that is, let it be done. This no one wanted to translate on account of reverence, for the Lord often used this. In this is given sureness of obtaining our request, as long as those things that were said are preserved.

But it should be known that in Hebrew three phrases are added, which Chrysostom explains. The first is for yours is the kingdom, afterward and the power and the glory. Amen. And it seems to correspond to three things above: yours is the kingdom to your kingdom come; power to your will be done; glory to Our Father, and to everything else that is for God’s honor. Or otherwise, as though to say: you can do those other things because you are the king, and thus no one can; yours is the power, and thus you can give the kingdom; yours is the glory, and thus not to us Lord but to your name give glory (Ps 115:1).

601. For if you forgive. The Lord attaches a certain condition to the prayer, namely, forgive; but this condition here could seem burdensome to someone; and thus the Lord shows the reason for it. And concerning this he does two things: first he shows that this condition is useful; second, necessary. It is useful because by it we obtain the remission of sins, and this is for if you forgive men their offenses, which they have sinned against you, your Father will forgive what you have sinned against him: forgive your neighbor (Sir 28:2).

But note that he says if you forgive men; for men, as long as they live innocently, are gods; but when they sin, they fall into the human condition: I said, you are gods (Ps 82:6) and after, but you will die like mortals (Ps 82:7): therefore, you who are gods and spiritual beings, forgive the sinful men.

Again, note that he says your Father; for offenses which are according to men are done because of something earthly; on the other hand, celestial men who have a Father in heaven should have no discord for the sake of anything earthly: be merciful as your Father is merciful (Luke 6:36).

This condition is also necessary, for without it there can be no remission of sins, hence but if you do not forgive. Nor is it surprising for no sin can be forgiven without charity: charity covers all sins (Prov 10:12). For whoever hates someone is not in charity, and thus his sins will not be forgiven him: man keeps anger against man and expects healing from God? (Sir 28:3); judgment without mercy to him who has no mercy (Jas 2:13).

602. But someone might believe from this that this is how sins should be forgiven, and therefore the Church sins when she does not forgive. It should be said that if someone seeks pardon, one would sin if one did not forgive. But if he did not seek it, then one does not forgive either because of hatred, and that is a sin, or because of the sinner’s good or that of others, so that, for example, evil may not be repeated, and that is not a sin.