Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Read It:

Jesus said to his disciples:
“In praying, do not babble like the pagans,
who think that they will be heard because of their many words.
Do not be like them.
Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

“This is how you are to pray:

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.

“If you forgive men their transgressions,
your heavenly Father will forgive you.
But if you do not forgive men,
neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”

Reflect on it:
In today's Gospel, we see Jesus teaching the disciples THE perfect prayer, the Our Father. This is the way that Jesus prayed and he in turns gives it to us to pray to his Father. The real challenge in Our Father comes in the fact that we ask to have our trespasses forgiven, but then are in turn saying that we will forgive those who trespass against us. They actually work together here. It's really good check. Our forgiveness in many ways is dependent upon the fact that we first forgive others. Sometimes we recite this super fast during mass and don't actually think about the words.

Pray about it: Father, your son gives us the perfect prayer. Help us to be forgiving to others as you are forgiving to me. Help me to be able to actually believe and act on the words I'm praying as I pray the Our Father.

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.

Live it! Challenge: Who needs for you to forgive them? Today, write them a letter or speak to them, letting them know they are forgiven.