Your Father knows what you need, even before you ask him. This, then, is how you should pray:
Our Father in heaven, holy be your name, your kingdom, come, your will, be done on earth, as in
heaven. Give us today, our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we forgive those who are in debt
to us. Do not bring us to the test, but deliver us from the evil one. If you forgive others their
wrongdoings, your Father in heaven will also forgive yours. If you do not forgive others, then your
Father will not forgive you.
Reflect
In today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches his disciples to pray, giving them what we know as the Lord’s
Prayer (or Our Father). The Lord’s Prayer is the most basic prayer of the Christian faith – shared
by all who profess Jesus as Lord. It is one of the first prayers that we learn as children.
It is part of every Mass and both Morning and Evening Prayer. When adults seek Baptism, they
are given the Lord’s Prayer as part of their preparation and give it back, reciting it publicly in the
hours before their Baptism. What makes this prayer so special? It touches on the essentials of
what we believe. We are the beloved children of a Father who is all-holy. He wants us to live with
him forever in his heavenly kingdom. We can help to make that kingdom present by conforming
our lives to his will. If we do that, God will give us all we need and deliver us from all harm.
The hallmark of a disciple is forgiveness. As we have been forgiven by our loving Father, we
share that forgiveness with those who have hurt us. For this we pray.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2023