THE WORD
Gal 2,1-2.7-14 / Lk 11,1-4
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: ‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us. And do not subject us to the test.’”
IN OTHER WORDS IN OTHER WORDS
The disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, and complying he gave them a prayer which we now commonly call the “Our Father” or the “Lord’s Prayer.”
The Our Father is not an ordinary prayer. It is the prayer that our Lord Jesus Christ Himself taught His disciples and gave to us who believe in Him! In this prayer, Jesus pictures the Father as holy; a king for He has a kingdom; a listener to man’s pleading and a giver; merciful and forgiving; and a deliverer from evil.
We have the prayer. Let us pray it often and properly, not just “recite” it. We can try to pray it slowly and wholeheartedly. In some cases, it helps if we sing the prayer. At home, sometime ago, my mother sang very beautifully and wholeheartedly the “Amahan Namo” accompanied by my father on the guitar. It almost moved me to tears. To pray it in our own language can also help us feel the beauty of the prayer. Praying or singing it very well can move ours and other people’s hearts.
Praying it properly, we attune ourselves to Jesus’ intention and way of praying making our prayer in perfect harmony with God’s will. And such can also move the heart of God, our loving Father. Jesus tells us to persevere in praying and to trust that the Father will listen to our prayers. If we sinful people know how to give good gifts to our loved ones, how much more does the loving Father in heaven do? And more than that, as the gospel says, He will even send us the Holy Spirit!
- Fr. Ernesto Salvar, SVD | Davao City
The Word in other words 2016
An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.
