BEADS OF JOY 03-07-17
“The Lord’s Prayer”
©2017 James Dacey, Jr. OFS
My Friends,
Today’s Gospel: Matthew 6:7-15 (The Lord’s Prayer)
"And in praying do not heap
up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for
their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need
before you ask him. Pray then like this: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed
be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give
us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our debts, As we also have forgiven
our debtors; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For if
you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but
if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive
your trespasses.”
Reflection:
Jesus taught the disciples (us) a most blessed, loving prayer. It is here that Jesus teaches us that we must see God, as Father; hence we are His children. Today let us reflect on the meaning in all its splendor to this most magnificent prayer. For starters, I will use the Catechism to help direct us through today’s reflection.
Catechism of the Catholic Church References
#2761: The Lord's Prayer "is truly the summary of the whole gospel. “Since the Lord. . . after handing over the practice of prayer, said elsewhere, 'Ask and you will receive,' and since everyone has petitions which are peculiar to his circumstances, the regular and appropriate prayer [the Lord's Prayer] is said first, as the foundation of further desires."
#2763 All the Scriptures - the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms - are fulfilled in Christ. The Gospel is this "Good News." Its first proclamation is summarized by St. Matthew in the Sermon on the Mount; the prayer to our Father is at the center of this proclamation. It is in this context that each petition bequeathed to us by the Lord is illuminated:
“The Lord's Prayer is the most perfect of prayers. . . . In it we ask, not only for all the things we can rightly desire, but also in the sequence that they should be desired. This prayer not only teaches us to ask for things, but also in what order we should desire them.” ~St Thomas Aquinas
The Lord's Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen.
As we look further into this let us look at how The Lord’s Prayer has 7 Petitions with in it. This is why the #7 is always signified with Jesus.
#2803 After we have placed ourselves in the presence of God our Father to adore and to love and to bless him, the Spirit of adoption stirs up in our hearts seven petitions, seven blessings. The first three, more theological, draw us toward the glory of the Father; the last four, as ways toward him, commend our wretchedness to his grace. "Deep calls to deep."
Here are the 7 Petitions with there (Latin) translation. And a simple brief statement from the Catechism of the Catholic Church (#).
1st Petition: Hallowed be Thy Name (Sanctificétur Nomen Tuum) #2858: By asking "hallowed be thy name" we enter into God's plan, the sanctification of his name - revealed first to Moses and then in Jesus - by us and in us, in every nation and in each man.
2nd Petition: Thy Kingdom come (Advéniat Regnum Tuum) #2859: By the second petition, the Church looks first to Christ's return and the final coming of the Reign of God. It also prays for the growth of the Kingdom of God in the "today" of our own lives.
3rd Petition: They will be done on earth as it is in Heaven (Fiat voluntas tua, sicut in coelo, et in terra) #2860: In the third petition, we ask our Father to unite our will to that of his Son, so as to fulfill his plan of salvation in the life of the world.
4th Petition: Give us this day our daily bread (Panem nostrum cotidianum da nobis hodie) #2861: In the fourth petition, by saying "give us," we express in communion with our brethren our filial trust in our heavenly Father. "Our daily bread" refers to the earthly nourishment necessary to everyone for subsistence, and also to the Bread of Life: the Word of God and the Body of Christ. It is received in God's "today," as the indispensable, (super-) essential nourishment of the feast of the coming Kingdom anticipated in the Eucharist.
5th Petition: And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. (Et dimitte nobis débita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris) #2862: The fifth petition begs God's mercy for our offences, mercy which can penetrate our hearts only if we have learned to forgive our enemies, with the example and help of Christ.
6th Petition: And lead us not into temptation (et ne nos inducas in tentationem) #2863: When we say "lead us not into temptation" we are asking God not to allow us to take the path that leads to sin. This petition implores the Spirit of discernment and strength; it requests the grace of vigilance and final perseverance.
7th Petition: But deliver us from evil (Sed libera nos a malo) #2864: In the last petition, "but deliver us from evil," Christians pray to God with the Church to show forth the victory, already won by Christ, over the "ruler of this world," Satan, the angel personally opposed to God and to his plan of salvation.
Here is a link that sings the Latin version with English subtitles. Well done: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATrrmGGShdY
Pondering these thoughts today: In your quest to “find” Jesus in your life; do you feel that you can approach Him at any time? Today Jesus tells us, even if we are requested bread in the middle of the night by a neighbor to whom we will eventually give bread to; will not God also provide for us regardless of its inconvenience or time in which we request it. Every day let us pray the Lord’s Prayer in confidence as we honor, worship, love and adore our Lord.
I chose to repost this, because when I did my original research it seemed such a wonderful find that I had to keep sharing it. The Original link this original post came from that I wrote is: http://beads-of-joy-blog.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-lords-prayer.html
LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!
Your brother in Christ Jesus
And His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr OFS
Today is Tuesday: We pray the Sorrowful Mysteries:
The Sorrowful Mysteries
1. Agony on the Garden (Sorrow for sin) –Matt 26:36-46
2. Scourging at the Pillar (Purity) –Mark 15:1-16
3. Crowning with Thorns (Moral Courage) –Matt 27:27-31
4. Carrying of the Cross (Patience) –Mark 15:20-22
5. The Crucifixion (Perseverance) –Luke 23:33-46
Thank you Lord for loving us so much…
Rosary Man Jim’s Sorrowful Reflection: http://beads-of-joy-blog.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-sorrowful-mysteries_11.html
