Lk 11:1-4
One day Jesus was praying in a certain place and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” And Jesus said to them, “When you pray, say this:
Father, may your name be held holy, may your kingdom come; give us each day the kind of bread we need, and forgive us our sins, for we also forgive all who do us wrong; and do not bring us to the test.”
REFLECTION
In the gospels we get some hints about the time and the place of when the Lord prayed: night, mountain, loneliness…We don’t know the prayer of John the Baptist, but are grateful to the suggestion of this disciple of Jesus.
We hear today the short tradition about the prayer of the Lord. Let us underline the keywords:
“Father.“ Jesus shares with us his personal experience of God as Father.
“May your name be held holy.” The name of God is his real being, and we asked for his acknowledgment in our minds and deeds.
“May your kingdom come”: we ask for the fullness of the grace of God among us in glory.
“Give us each day the kind of bread we need”: this is a nuanced expression for our sustenance, invoking the Providence.
“Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive all who do us wrong”: this is a constant teaching of Jesus in words and parables: to get God’s pardon we have always to forgive.
“And do not bring us to the test”: may the Lord protect us from all kinds of spiritual danger .
This prayer will shape the heart of Christians into Jesus’ heart.
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