Preet Anupam Beck csc –
Readings: Sir 48: 1-14; Mt 6: 7-15
In the gospel today, Jesus is teaching us how to pray. Jesus clearly asks us not to heap on empty phrases. Rather, he encourages us to use meaningful words of relationship in our prayers and invites us to surrender to God through prayer.
The Lord’s prayer, Our Father has all the qualities that one needs to be in a strong relationship with God. The phrase “Our Father” suggests a communitarian relationship, that God is not only mine, but the Father of all. We praise God in the first part of the prayer.
We offer both heaven and earth in God’s hands. It is a symbol of surrendering our life on earth to God and offering our hopes for heaven. The second part of the prayer is a petition to God for our daily nourishment, a plea for forgiveness, guidance against temptation, and deliverance from evil.
The Lord’s Prayer is rich in its meaning that it can help us live in faith if we mean it from our hearts whenever we pray. I pray the Lord’s prayer daily, sometimes unaware of its meaning. But today’s gospel inspires me to go into the meaning of this prayer and live its meaning in my life.