Praying the Lord’s Prayer

There is probably no prayer more familiar than the Lord’s Prayer. Recited in private prayer, as part of the Rosary, and in each celebration of the Eucharist, the prayer that Jesus taught us is a hallmark of Christian spirituality. Yet, how often do we recite the words without giving much thought to their meaning? A closer look at individual phrases might provide some insight to the prayer as a whole.

We pray to God, Father in heaven, hallowed by your name. What a beautiful way to begin a prayer, drawing upon the familial relationship we share with God. God is parent, embodying qualities of father and mother. God is the one who brought us into being; God knows us intimately and loves us unconditionally. So maybe the young child who misheard the words and prayed, “Our Father who art in heaven, how’d you know my name?” was really just in awe of this God who is at once mighty and mysterious, yet intimately personal.

In the words, Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, we pray that the fullness of God’s reign — perfect peace, perfect love, perfect understanding — might be born among us. But God’s reign will not be perfected or fulfilled in our midst until we allow ourselves to live in God’s light, attentive and responsive to God’s will. Even as we seek the fullness of God’s reign in our lives, we move as pilgrim people toward the heavenly community reserved for all who are found faithful.

In the phrase Give us this day our daily bread we pray for daily nourishment of body and soul. But the words also serve as a reminder not to get caught up in unnecessary worry about tomorrow. Our prayer for daily bread, for bread sufficient for this day, ought to represent our trust in God to assist us in our needs.

Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. This phrase calls us to love God as God loves us. We can only expect to be forgiven in the measure we forgive. It’s a clear reminder of Jesus’ words that we are called to forgive others not only seven times, but seventy times seven times. Our willingness and ability to forgive should be without limit and should flow from hearts grateful for God’s mercy showered upon us.

Finally, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Because we live in a less than perfect world, it is naïve to think that we will not be tempted. Temptation is all about us — in the lure of materialism, in grief and frustration that can lead us to despair, in hurts that make us hard-hearted and unforgiving. We are tempted, yet if we strive to live in God’s will, God will indeed assist us in time of temptation.

The Lord’s Prayer is one of the Church’s treasures. As we pray it each day, let us strive to make it more a part of our lives. Let us lend our best efforts to making God’s kingdom come by being nourishment for others, and by being a forgiving and reconciling presence in our homes and in our world. May God’s will truly be done through us and among us. — Susan Bremer, OSU