“Lead us not into temptation” (Mt 6:13).
We all know that our Father does not allow us to be tempted beyond our capacity. On the contrary, He helps us to fight them and to grow in this struggle: “God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Cor 10:13).
“… as we forgive those who trespass against us” (Mt 6:12). Read More
“… as we forgive those who trespass against us” (Mt 6:12).
We know very well how important it is to our Father that, having experienced His mercy again and again, we too should be merciful to others. In fact, one of the worst attitudes is when people do not want to forgive. They close their hearts and, with their accusation, continue to exercise a certain power over those who, in their opinion, have done unforgivable things.
‘Give us this day our daily bread’ (Mt 6:10).
Jesus invites us to naturally include the needs of our daily life in our prayer. Our daily food also comes from our heavenly Father, even if we have to work for it with the sweat of our face (cf. Gen 3:19). Ultimately, our abilities and the success of our work depend on God’s grace. Read More
“Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Mt 6:10).
To do the Father’s holy Will was the food of our Lord Jesus Christ (Jn 4:34). With these words Jesus expresses the joy and naturalness with which He fulfilled the Will of the One who sent Him. This was his life!
‘Thy kingdom come’ (Mt 6:10).
The Kingdom of our Father is full of justice, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (cf. Rm 14:17). Already here, in our earthly life, these aspirations can be realised, for, as we say in the Lord’s Prayer, the Kingdom of God is to come on earth as it is in heaven.
When God exercises His dominion, He will, as the Scriptures say, “judge between the nations, and shall decide for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” (Is 2:4).
(Mt 6,10)
Is the establishment of the Kingdom of God here on earth only a beautiful dream or a pious wish? Is it a promise yet to be fulfilled or a mere memory of a Paradise lost? Read More
‘Hallowed be thy name’ (Mt 6:9).
The Name of our Father must be hallowed by people on earth, as it undoubtedly is in heaven, where angels and saints worship our Father with reverence and love, as described in the Book of Revelation: And all the angels stood round the throne and round the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God for ever and ever! Amen” (Rev 7:11-12). Read More
‘Our Father, who art in heaven’ (Mt 6:9).
The suggestion of a brother and the custom of kneeling during the Lord’s Prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours in Lent have led me to dedicate a series of meditations to this prayer, looking more closely at each of its affirmations and placing them in the context of God the Father’s message to Sr. Eugenia. Read More
