Reflection on The Lord's Prayer

Note:  In the interest of time, we welcome our guest writer from the University of Notre Dame Bro. Rene Michele Gentine Notre Dame parent The Our Father prayer is a perfect prayer for leading us into a trusting and merciful relationship with God. Jesus teaches us to speak to our Father in prayer, and to do so with humble hearts, always trusting in God’s love and mercy. From the opening phrase—“our Father”—we can see that Jesus wants us to approach God as a united people. God is not mine or yours, but ours. Further, Jesus wants us to refer to God as Father, to join ourselves in a personal and loving relationship with God as a parent. We bring ourselves to God, and through faith God resides within us. Following this personal address are seven petitions: we ask for God’s name to be held holy; for God’s kingdom to come; and that God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Then we ask for things we need—we ask for bread to sustain us, trusting daily that God will provide what God knows we need. We ask for forgiveness from our sins in the same degree that we have forgiven those who sin and hurt us. We ask to be led away from trials and circumstances that could turn us away from our Father. We ask that God will protect us from Satan. When we prayerfully meditate on these, Jesus’ words, we offer praise, we confess our sinfulness, we thank God for all that is provided for us, and we place our needs in God’s hands. In this prayer, we ask God to guide us away from all things that might lead us down sinful paths, and most of all, to keep us and our Church safe from the evil one. In teaching us this prayer, Jesus gives us everything we need to sustain our lives of faith.

Father Andrew Gawrych, C.S.C. Lord, your Son taught us to call out to you as our Father. Every time we pray as he taught us, may we realize ever more deeply not only our dignity as your children, but also the fellowship we share as brothers and sisters in Christ. United ever more closely with each other and with you, we may become a sacrament of communion in our alienated world. Amen.

St. Gregory of Barbarigo, you left politics to be a hermit, but ended up an influential cardinal--pray for us!

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