“One thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14)

Would you drive a car starring into the rear-view mirror?

The opponent wants to wreck the only moment we are guaranteed this side of heaven: the present one. A favorite diabolical temptation is to lure us to live in what lives behind us, thwarting our forward advancement into the promise of hope that Christ Jesus offers.

When we receive God’s mercy, everything changes. Confessing sincerely and humbly makes possible the reception of divine mercy whose power is stronger than all past sins. This truth enables Saint Paul to exclaim that the one thing he does is to forget what lies behind; that is, no longer be mired in past faults and failings. God’s Mercy washes away all sin so that we, like Saint Paul, can press forward with our eyes on the prize – Christ Jesus the Lord!