Saint Jacinta and Francisco Marto
How to Pray
Brethren, today Jesus warns us about the way we pray. When we pray, we should not use many words, beat around the bush but we should be direct to the point. Jesus provides us with the model of all prayer: "The Lord's Prayer." The Lord's prayer is the most common said and known prayer; and a prayer which Jesus Himself gave us. Because it’s so familiar, we can sometimes find ourselves reciting this beautiful prayer thoughtlessly, babbling like the pagans. Most of us just pray it for sake without paying attention to what it contains and what it means. As St. Edmund reminds us, “It is better to say one Our Father fervently and devoutly than a thousand with no devotion and full of distraction.” Today let us try to reflect on this prayer more deeply.
The Lord's Prayer prayer starts with the invocation of God as our Father and then divides into halves the Seven petitions. The first three are addressed to God and the last four address human needs. Let us try to look at each one briefly with a reflective mood.
The invocation of invocation of God Our Father has a significant meaning. Firstly God is the Father. This is the Father who loves His children beyond telling and even if they sin He is ready to receive them back. He provides His children with whatever they need. He is "Our" Father. God is not the Father of a certain culture or people or country, He is the Father of us ALL. Matthew inserting “Our” in his Lord's Prayer passage denotes that this prayer is a community prayer and ‘in heaven’ to avoid confusion with an earthly father. We have one Father in heaven though we have individual fathers on earth.
The first petition is Hallowed Be Thy Name which tells us that the Sacred name of God has to be revered and glorified. His Name should not be put into vain as we see in the second commandment. It is also the way Ezekiel 36.20-23 describes the complete vindication of God’s name and honour at the re-establishment of God’s people in a free Jerusalem.
The second petition is Thy Kingdom Come. This is central to the first three petitions and it is a prayer for the completion of God’s plan, may the kingdom of God be fulfilled, an eschatological yearning that God’s sovereignty over the world be totally accepted and unimpeded. It is invoking God to be the only sole king over the earth.
The third petition is Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. This is only found in Matthew and invites us to do the will of the Father here on Earth. It stresses that it is not enough to cry ‘Lord, Lord’ without actually doing the will of the Father. It also forms Jesus’ second, heartfelt prayer in Gethsemane, ‘may your will be done’. Doing the will of God is the perfect way of living.
We now turn to the human petitions. First Petition is Give us this day our daily bread. This is asking God to keep us fed not just on bread but all foods, for the Hebrew word for bread is often used more widely for food in general. In this period of lent we are encouraged to help others so that they will get their daily bread, and God will reward us abundantly. Don't leave your neighbor to starve while you have a lot. One of the main three spiritual exercises of Lent is almsgiving, take some time and give something whether big or small but with a heart of love.
Second, is Forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive those who Trespass against us. This is really a dangerous prayer for forgiveness on condition that we forgive others – a petition which must always be accompanied with searching our own consciousness for forgiveness of others. This again is the central petition of the four human petitions, and is further stressed by Matthew by repetition at the end of the prayer, and by the parable of the Unforgiving Debtor. Brethren, if we don't forgive others and we pray this prayer, we are just liars and condemning ourselves in front of God. So we should be careful. Anyone who has not forgiven from the bottom of the heart the brother or sister who has done him wrong will only obtain from this prayer his own condemnation, rather than any mercy. One of invitations of Lent is forgiveness and reconciliation; are you ready to forgive and let go?
The third and forth petitions are complementary prayers, ‘lead us not into temptation’ and ‘deliver us from evil’ These are prayers for protection against the evil one, and protection against falling into temptation. They confirm that Evil exists and always tempts us and therefore we need the intervention of God to conquer as Jesus did. Lent is the time to pray for this strength to always overcome evil and it's temptations as Jesus did in the desert.
Brethren, now that we know briefly what The Lord's Prayer contains and that it is a very powerful prayer take some time today to reflect on each Petition in a meditative way, try to understand it and see if you have been living what you pray in the Lord's prayer especially that of forgiving others.
Let us pray.
Lord, may you always teach how to pray and may I find meaning daily in the prayer you taught us. May this meaning help me daily to grow closer to you. Amen
Be blessed
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