11th Thursday - The Lord's Prayer

 

When we pray the Lord’s Prayer, do we babble on, like the pagans by saying it fast and without paying attention to the meaning of what we are saying?

As we daily pray the Our Father, we may get into the habit of not thinking about what we are praying. Today, let us examine the meaning of the Lord’s Prayer.

When we begin the Lord’s Prayer, we say “Our Father”. As a child of God, we pray to God Our loving Father, who created us, watches over us, protects us, provides for us, and who loves each one of us-- as His own special child, since we are His adopted children, who cry out, “Abba” Father. Most of us pray to Jesus often, which is good, but we should also pray to God Our Father in heaven.

When we pray to God Our Father, we say “Hallowed be thy name”. This means we try to keep God’s name Holy. And we also make reparation for those, who cuss or take His name in vain.

We pray “Thy kingdom Come” knowing that the God is King and will rule in our hearts, in our community, in our lives, and in our nation, as king, as He rules, as King in heaven, if only we allow Him to do so.

We pray ”thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”, and so we do the best we can to do God’s will by obeying our superiors, the pope, bishops, priests, and those who care for us every day, because those who have authority over us-- represent God here on earth. When we do God’s will on earth, we are imitating God’s creatures (angels and saints), who do His will perfectly in heaven.

When we ask God, Our Father, to “give us our daily bread”, we are asking God the Father to give us-- Jesus, who is the Bread of Life and our superstantial bread from heaven--- in the Eucharist. We should not take for granted the gift of being able to receive Jesus everyday in Holy Communion and to be able to come to daily Mass. We need to pray for that gift everyday, lest it be taken away from us.

Another meaning for “give us our daily bread”, is that we ask God to supply our every need, whether it’s our daily food, clothing, shelter, our health, or the grace to suffer well, and whatever we may need in our daily life, trusting in His divine providence.

We then ask God to “forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us”. We should daily examine our conscience and seek God’s forgiveness for offending Him and for our offending our neighbor. We should also pray for those, who have hurt us, so that we may more easily forgive them. Otherwise, if we don’t forgive others, our heavenly Father, won’t forgive our trespasses.

When we pray, “Lead us not into temptation”, this does not mean that God can or would lead us into temptation. Rather, we are praying that His divine assistance will not depart from us, otherwise, we may be seduced, and consent to some temptation.

When we ask God to “deliver us from evil”, we ask God to deliver us from the snares of the devil, who prowls about the world, seeking the ruin of souls. It is a reminder that we need to turn to Our loving Father for help and protection, so as to be delivered from the Evil One.

And when we finish the Lord’s Prayer, we say, “Amen”. The word, “Amen” means “so be it”, or better translated means, “it is firm like a rock”. It’s kind of like saying, “What I believe stands on God Himself.” Or “Whatever God does or says is reliable and I trust in God my rock.”

Today, let us ask the Blessed Virgin Mary to help us pray the Lord’s Prayer with meaning. To pray it slowly, reverently, with love and attention, trusting God Our Father will hear and answer us. And may we come to appreciate the deep meaning of the prayer Jesus Himself taught us.