The Lord’s Prayer
Gospel: Mt 6:7-15
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/022024.cfm
The Lord’s prayer, or the Our Father, is less of a petition to God and more of a reminder to us.
“Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name..”
We start the prayer with a showing of reverence. It is a reminder to us that God transcends God’s creation. God is beyond this reality while participating in it. We recognize God as the beginning and the end.
“..thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
Prayer is an exercise in shifting our mindset from our individual will to that of God’s. While we often petition the Lord with prayer by asking for things, prayer is a space for us to share our desires with God so that God can transform them into the Divine Will. We communicate our wants to open ourselves up to the wants of God. It humbles us to recognize what is in and outside of our control. While we may do our part, we are uncertain of the outcome. There are other variables beyond ourselves.
This part of the prayer is a reminder to us of the now and the not yet of the Kingdom of God. We have the hope and faith that God’s Kingdom will come into reality once we all participate fully in the Divine Will. We have faith and hope that God’s Kingdom will come to fruition in reality as its potential is there under the surface. Our participation in it will make it so. While we put the onus on God, and God is ultimately the onus, God calls us to participate in it.
“Give us this day our daily bread…”
We are asking God to take care of our true needs in this present time as it uses the words “day” and “daily.” Not all of the things we think we need are actually needed at this specific moment. My concerns and worries are not in the present moment but are reflections on the past and fears about hypothetical futures. This prayer calls us to be in the present and seek God’s support.
This is a call to action, as our actions can take away from or provide the daily needs of others. The prayer overall uses “we” language and not “I” language. This calls us to see beyond our individual needs to the universal. This prayer grounds us both in the moment and the universal community.
“...forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
God wants us to participate in the Divine Will. If God is forgiving, we too must be forgiving. If we seek God to provide for our needs, we must provide for the needs of others. God seeks and desires a relationship with us and our participation in God’s mission. We are called to forgive, and in turn, we’ll be forgiven. We must learn to forgive both ourselves and others.
“Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
We are asking God to help us not fall into temptation while also asking for deliverance from evil when we do. We are all fragile and vulnerable to sin. It is easy for us to turn back on God and to sever our relationship with God, others, ourselves, and the rest of creation. Here we ask for God’s assistance both in avoiding sin and healing when we do.
The Lord’s Prayer reminds us of the greatness of God and calls us to participate in the Divine by:
Living in the present moment (Not wallowing in the past or worrying about the future);
Shifting our mindset from our ego to universal thinking;
Forgiving others and ourselves;
Freeing ourselves from sin;
Trusting in God’s healing.
The Lord’s Prayer is a contemplative call to action. May we all grow in relation and the virtues therein.
