Jesus said to his
disciples: "In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they
will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father
knows what you need before you ask him. This is how you are to pray: ´Our
Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy Kingdom come, thy will be
done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and
forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and
lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.´ If you forgive others
their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not
forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions." (Matthew
6: 7-15)
Introductory Prayer:
Lord, I believe in you. I believe that you love me, that you are close by my
side, and that you will be walking with me throughout this day. I trust in you,
Lord. I trust you more than I trust myself, because you are infinitely good and
all powerful. I love you, Jesus. I love you because you died on the cross for
me, to save me.
Petition: Lord, teach
me to pray.
1. Absolute Trust in God’s Providence: “Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”
Christ’s words are an inexhaustible source of consolation and hope as they
encourage us to turn constantly to our Father in prayer. “True piety is not so
much a matter of the amount of words as of the frequency and the love with
which a Christian turns toward God in all the events, great or small, of his
day” (St. Matthew, The Navarre Bible, p. 72). But if our Father already knows
our needs, why should we even present them to him in prayer? St. Augustine
assures us that while we pray, God is molding our heart and soul so that we
will be prepared to receive the good things he desires to give us in answer to
our prayers.
2. The Perfect Prayer:
St. Augustine affirms that the Lord’s Prayer is so perfect that it sums up in a
few words everything man needs to ask God for (cf. Sermon, 56). “It is usually
seen as being made up of an invocation and seven petitions — three to do with
praise of God and four with the needs of men” (St. Matthew, The Navarre Bible,
p. 72). The first two petitions, that God’s name be sanctified among all
people, and that his Kingdom may come, should touch us in the depth of our
being. We are called to be apostles of that Kingdom, to spread love for Christ
among our fellow men. Our apostolic zeal should be enkindled each time we
pronounce those words of the Lord’s Prayer. Asking for God’s will to be done
means that we seek to conform ourselves with his will in all of our thoughts
and actions.
3. Our Spiritual and Human Needs: “Give us this day our daily bread.” Even though we work to
earn our daily bread with the sweat of our brow, it is still a gift from God.
We ask only for what we need each day. The Church Fathers also see in this
petition a request for the Eucharist, the Bread of Life. We strive to live so
as to be worthy to receive the Eucharist each day. Christ then instructs us
that when we ask God for forgiveness, we, too, must be willing to forgive
others in the same way we ourselves are forgiven by our Father. Do I live this
teaching fully in my life as a follower of Christ? Finally, we ask to be freed
from temptation that is beyond our strength, and to be delivered from evil — or
the Evil One. The Father is much more powerful than any temptation the devil
can send against us. With what confidence and trust does Christ ask us to
conclude the “Our Father!”
Conversation with Christ:
Thank you, Lord, for teaching us how to pray. Thank you for the confidence and
trust in our Father that your words inspire. Help me, so that the words of your
own prayer may always be on my lips and in my heart.
Resolution:
I will pray the “Our Father” as a colloquy with God at different moments during
the day.
No comments:
Post a Comment