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Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one
of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John
taught his disciples.” Luke 11:1
What a great prayer for us to pray also, “Lord, teach us to pray…”
Jesus’ response to this disciple was to present him with the “Our
Father” prayer. Of this prayer, Saint Andre Bessette said, “When
you say the Our Father, God's ear is next to your lips.” The great
mystical Doctor of the Church Saint Teresa of Ávila gave this
advice while praying the Lord’s Prayer: “Much more is accomplished
by a single word of the Our Father said, now and then, from our
heart, than by the whole prayer repeated many times in haste and
without attention.” And Saint Thérèse of Lisieux said that the “Our
Father” prayer was one of the prayers she prayed when she felt so
spiritually barren that she could not summon up a single worthwhile
thought.
At the Holy Mass, when the priest invites the people of God to pray
the “Our Father,” he says, in part, that this prayer is one that
“...we dare to say.” This is an interesting statement which
especially reveals the childlike boldness we are called to have as
we pray this prayer sincerely from the heart. It is exceptionally
bold to call God our “Father.”
Chapter 11 of My Catholic Worship, which offers a teaching
on this perfect prayer, states the following about this
boldness:
Each Christian is to see the Father as my Father. We must see
ourselves as God’s children and approach Him with the confidence of
a child. A child with a loving parent is not afraid of that
parent. Rather, children have the greatest trust that their
parents love them no matter what. Even when they sin,
children know they are still loved. This must be our
fundamental starting point for all prayer. We must start with
an understanding that God loves us no matter what. With this
understanding of God, we will have all the confidence we need to
call on Him.
Since many of us are very familiar with this ideal prayer taught to
us by our Lord Himself, there is a temptation to pray this prayer
in a somewhat rote way. We can easily fail to say it from the
depths of our hearts, making each word our own, offered with the
utmost confidence to our loving Father in Heaven.
How do you pray the Lord’s Prayer? Do you pray it out of habit,
failing to fully comprehend and mean the words you pray? Most
likely this is the case for many.
Reflect, today, upon this most holy prayer given to us by the Son
of God Himself. He is the author of this perfect prayer, so we
should use it as the foundation of all of our prayer. Try to follow
the advice of Saint Teresa of Ávila quoted above. Take each word of
that prayer and pray it slowly, intentionally and with love. Begin
by acknowledging God as your Father. Ponder the infinite care He
has for you as a perfect father would. See Him in a real, intimate,
and personal way. This perfect prayer begins by acknowledging Who
God is and then continues with seven perfect petitions. After
praying the introduction to this prayer, pick one of the seven
petitions to meditate upon so that the richness of this prayer will
have a transformative effect upon your soul.
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. Jesus, I trust in You.
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Featured image above: St Peter and St Paul, via flickr
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