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When Moses approached God on Mount Sinai, he heard a voice saying, "Do
not come near; put off your shoes from your feet, for the place on which you
are standing is holy ground." An infinite chasm separates us from the
transcendent God.
In the Lord's Prayer, Jesus invites us to draw near to God who is beyond
human understanding, Who dwells in mystery, Who is all holy. We can call
God "our Father".
Calling God "Father" does not mean that God is masculine. God is beyond the
categories of gender, of masculine or feminine. None of our descriptions of
God is adequate. God, Who is "in heaven", Whose name is holy, cannot be
fully known by us.
By calling God "Father" we are more rightly describing ourselves and our
relationship with God. Jesus teaches that we have a filial relationship with
God; God sees us as if we were a daughter or a son. And we, on our part, can
approach God in the familiar confident way a child approaches a loving parent.
What is more, we approach God through God's only Son, Jesus Christ, Who
unites us to himself.
not come near; put off your shoes from your feet, for the place on which you
are standing is holy ground." An infinite chasm separates us from the
transcendent God.
In the Lord's Prayer, Jesus invites us to draw near to God who is beyond
human understanding, Who dwells in mystery, Who is all holy. We can call
God "our Father".
Calling God "Father" does not mean that God is masculine. God is beyond the
categories of gender, of masculine or feminine. None of our descriptions of
God is adequate. God, Who is "in heaven", Whose name is holy, cannot be
fully known by us.
By calling God "Father" we are more rightly describing ourselves and our
relationship with God. Jesus teaches that we have a filial relationship with
God; God sees us as if we were a daughter or a son. And we, on our part, can
approach God in the familiar confident way a child approaches a loving parent.
What is more, we approach God through God's only Son, Jesus Christ, Who
unites us to himself.
God's kingdom. Jesus often said that God's power would appear and renew
all creation. God like a mighty king would rule over the earth according to a
plan that unfolds from the beginning of the world. God's kingdom would be
marked by peace and justice. Good would be rewarded and evil punished.
The kingdom, according to Jesus, is not far off, but already present in our
midst, though not yet revealed.
In the Lord's Prayer we pray that God's kingdom come, that God's will, which
is for our good, be done on earth as it is in heaven.
all creation. God like a mighty king would rule over the earth according to a
plan that unfolds from the beginning of the world. God's kingdom would be
marked by peace and justice. Good would be rewarded and evil punished.
The kingdom, according to Jesus, is not far off, but already present in our
midst, though not yet revealed.
In the Lord's Prayer we pray that God's kingdom come, that God's will, which
is for our good, be done on earth as it is in heaven.
We are God's children. What can be more childlike than this petition in which
we pray for our daily bread, a word that describes all those physical, human
and spiritual gifts we need to live. With the confidence of children we say:
"Give us this day what we need."
we pray for our daily bread, a word that describes all those physical, human
and spiritual gifts we need to live. With the confidence of children we say:
"Give us this day what we need."
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This petition of the Lord's Prayer is a demanding one. Not only do we ask
God's forgiveness for our daily offenses, but we link God's forgiveness of us
with our forgiveness of others. Forgiving others is not always easy to do. We
need God's help to do it. But it must be done or we ourselves cannot receive
God's mercy.
God's forgiveness for our daily offenses, but we link God's forgiveness of us
with our forgiveness of others. Forgiving others is not always easy to do. We
need God's help to do it. But it must be done or we ourselves cannot receive
God's mercy.
Life is not easy. It is a daily battle. Trials like sickness and failure can crush
our spirits. False values and easy promises can entice us and even destroy
our souls. And so we ask God to keep us from failing when we are tested, to
help us to know the right thing to do, to deliver us from the evil which
awaits us in life.
The Lord's Prayer sums up the teaching of Jesus. It is also a prayer that
offers the grace of Jesus: His reverence for God, His childlike confidence in
His Father, and His power to go bravely through life no matter what comes.
When we pray His prayer, His spirit becomes our own.
our spirits. False values and easy promises can entice us and even destroy
our souls. And so we ask God to keep us from failing when we are tested, to
help us to know the right thing to do, to deliver us from the evil which
awaits us in life.
The Lord's Prayer sums up the teaching of Jesus. It is also a prayer that
offers the grace of Jesus: His reverence for God, His childlike confidence in
His Father, and His power to go bravely through life no matter what comes.
When we pray His prayer, His spirit becomes our own.
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The Lord's Prayer is the most basic Christian prayer. A model for prayer,
given to us by the LORD Himself. Typically every Christian learns this prayer
by heart. It appears everywhere in the church's life: in its liturgy and
sacraments, in public and private prayer. It’s a prayer Christian’s treasure.
Though we memorize it as a set formula, the Lord's Prayer shouldn't be
repeated mechanically or without thought. Its purpose is to awaken and
stimulate our faith. Through this prayer Jesus invites us to approach God as
Father. Indeed, the Lord's Prayer has been called a summary of the gospel.
The Lord's Prayer is the most basic Christian prayer. A model for prayer,
given to us by the LORD Himself. Typically every Christian learns this prayer
by heart. It appears everywhere in the church's life: in its liturgy and
sacraments, in public and private prayer. It’s a prayer Christian’s treasure.
Though we memorize it as a set formula, the Lord's Prayer shouldn't be
repeated mechanically or without thought. Its purpose is to awaken and
stimulate our faith. Through this prayer Jesus invites us to approach God as
Father. Indeed, the Lord's Prayer has been called a summary of the gospel.
