TUESDAY
It's always a good idea to read the Gospel passage before listening to or reading the reflection.
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The season of Lent invites us to go back to basics. The Gospel passage today is about a part of our Christian living: prayer. Today, Jesus teaches us the Lord’s Prayer - the only prayer we have from him. This prayer is a lesson in how to pray.
We can easily slip into the habit of saying the Lord’s prayer without praying it – without letting it into our hearts and minds; without speaking the words directly to our Father.
Let’s think about the words of the Lord’s Prayer.
Our Father
The first words, “our Father”, are especially important! Jesus invites us to speak to God in an intimate and personal way. The Aramaic word, “Abba”, which Jesus would have used, was close to the words: “dad” or “daddy” or “pappa”.
When I pray, “our Father”, am I speaking as I do to my mum (mom) or dad?
Your Kingdom Come
Then we pray: “your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven”.
Do I want God’s kingdom – His love, mercy and forgiveness – to grow in me and in our world? Do I want to be loving, merciful and forgiving?
Our Daily Bread
We ask our loving parent to “Give us today our daily bread”.
Do I rely on my loving parent, not just for “bread”, but for food and for everything? Is Jesus my daily bread? Is the Mass my daily bread?
Forgive Us as we Forgive Others
Then comes a challenge: “forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven those who are in debt to us” (forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us).
Do I realise that I am asking my loving parent to forgive me, only as much as I am prepared to forgive others? Do I realise that if I am unforgiving, I might not be forgiven myself?
Lead Us Not into Temptation
Finally, we ask our Father: “do not put us to the test but save us from the evil one” (and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil). God does not “lead us into temptation” or “put us to the test”. I am a sinner and I am the one who gives into temptation and sins.
When I pray these words, do I realise that I am a sinner? Am I asking my Father to help me to avoid the temptation to sin?
Word of God - Gospel
As we think about the Lord’s prayer, it’s good to remember it is not just a prayer. It is Jesus’ prayer and it is, therefore, the Word God.
In the first reading today from Isaiah, we read:
Thus says the Lord … ‘the word that goes from my mouth does not return to me empty, without carrying out my will and succeeding in what it was sent to do.’
God’s Word is powerful.
Every time we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we are praying the powerful Word of God – the word that carries out God’s will and succeeds in what it was sent to do.
Pope Francis says:
“The Gospel invites us to look into the depths of our heart, to see where we find our security in life.” (Gaudate et Exsultate, 67)