The Lord's Prayer -- my less than mature thoughts

[jmm08]

Consider carefully what the Lord’s prayer says. I don’t think the Lord’s prayer is arranged in an accidental or random order.

We pray for God’s will to be done on earth. We should not be bystanders or spectators in this. Rather, we must ask God what He wants us to do (even if it is something small).

John 4:34 "Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of the one who sent me and to finish his work.’ "

In the very next part of the Lord’s prayer, we ask for our daily bread. We pray to find our part in bringing God’s will to earth as it is in heaven. And we then ask for our daily bread. We are to imitate Jesus and Mary. If we do what is God’s will for us to do, this can be our food just as it was for Jesus.

Regarding the forgiveness of sins, the Lord’s prayer is quite Catholic. We must forgive others. And we must have contrition. “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” We should take onto ourselves what we ourselves can do (avoid the occasions of sin) – and leave all else to God. I think this is the correct attitude to have when praying the Lord’s prayer.

These are my less than mature thoughts. I know that the Catechism has much to say about the Lord’s prayer – and so too the older Catechisms, some Councils and Church Fathers. Sometime I want to read all that I can on the Lord’s Prayer. Because lately, it seems to have much more in it than I noticed before.

jmm08

 

[jmm08]

(I am changing some text to be Bold to emphasize what I think is the main point.)

See newadvent.org/fathers/0322.htm
Tertullian:

Chapter 4, the third clause.

According to this model, we subjoin, “Your will be done in the heavens and on the earth;” not that there is some power withstanding to prevent God’s will being done, and we pray for Him the successful achievement of His will; but we pray for His will to be done in all. For, by figurative interpretation of flesh and spirit, we are “heaven” and “earth;” albeit, even if it is to be understood simply, still the sense of the petition is the same, that in us God’s will be done on earth, to make it possible, namely, for it to be done also in the heavens. What, moreover, does God will, but that we should walk according to His Discipline? We make petition, then, that He supply us with the substance of His will, and the capacity to do it, that we may be saved both in the heavens and on earth; because the sum of His will is the salvation of them whom He has adopted.
…

We are not to be mere spectators in the Lord’s Prayer.

 

[briang72]

Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.

Whenever we pray this line, we are asking God to forgive us exactly in the same way as we forgive those who hurt us. In other words, if we are harboring un-forgiveness in our hearts as we say this prayer, we are calling a curse down upon ourselves.

Marcellino D’Ambrosio, Ph.D., Catholic Author and Speaker

More here:Forgive Us Our Trespasses