Our Father

How do you pray?

‘When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. ‘Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one. For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. - Matthew 6:7-15

We know it as The Lord's Prayer, because it was taught us by our Lord, Jesus, but I remember it as The Our Father, based on the first two words of the prayer.

I had to memorize it at an early age.  That's the way I was taught.

I don't know if it is still taught that way, or if people just hear it in church on Sunday and read along, but I do believe many of us recite it without giving it much thought. 

Perhaps it became too easy a prayer to remember and recite.  We used to have to say so many "Our Fathers" as penance for the sins we confessed, and I was quick to rattle them off, along with a prescribed number of "Hail Marys".

We run the risk of not meaning what we are saying when we do that, rattle off a memorized prayer.  I don't think that was what Jesus had in mind when he formulated the prayer, which has some very specific components we should think about.

First we praise God and acknowledge His reign and will. 

May Your will be done, here.  Now.

We ask for our basic needs to be met.  Nothing extravagant or grand, just the bread of life.

We ask that our debts be forgiven to the extent that we are willing and able to forgive the debts of others.  We tend to forget that part.  We have to be willing to forgive as well.

And we pray that we are not tested by the evil one, and if we are that we are saved from him. 

Then Jesus sums it up by telling us that Our Father in Heaven will do for us to the extent we do for others, and if we choose not to, so might He.

That's the toughest part.  It isn't all one way.  We have to commit to be true, honest, fair and be willing to sacrifice as well in order to gain.

More to come...