When you pray the Our Father... what do you think and feel?

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Vicktoria

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I’m curious what ~others~ think when they say this prayer, but I want to describe what ~I~ think (in my own words) and then ~feel~ into it, when I say them, based on much study, reflection and prayer about how I ~should~ be saying it…
Code: 
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
~I beg you, my Lord, come back and make right, the wrongs in this world~
Code: 
Give us this day our daily bread, 
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
~Please, guide me to live as ~you~ would have me live, to give freely of myself, to those in need, of what I have to spare, to forgive and love others, without a judgmental heart, and let not my selfish mind guide my actions, as I learn to submit to Your Will for my life~
Code: 
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.

Amen.
~I trust that You will make it so, for ever, and ever~
~but ~Please~, let it be sooner, rather than later~
~there’s so many ~hurting~ in this world who need You~

Kyrie Eleison,

~V~
 
jokes aside “I usually just think of the next line and then after AMEN! let the holy spiritus convey”
 
I thought I had a great understanding of this prayer until I read Pope Benedict XVI’s book "Jesus of Nazareth”. His insight into the “Our Father” is nothing short of inspired. I have been reading excerpts of it before Mass and we have really had some life changing experiences.

For example, he starts with the word “Our” and brings out such amazing meaning from just this word that I can’t imagine anyone would not be moved by his insight. Benedict’s style is also very readable.

More readily accessible, you have the catechism. I noticed you might be misinterpreting some things - but what you have written is too short for me to say that with any remote kind of assuredness.

Anyway, please DO check this out:
vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p4s2a2.htm
There are buttons at the bottom of the page to turn the pages.

That’s awesome that you are not just saying the words but fully trying to grasp their meaning. I think many of us take for granted that we understand the meaning without really plumming the depths of what we have before us.
 
Rapidly reciting prayers by rote results in very little communication with God.

Trying to think about the meaning of what we are saying results in great communication with God. Listen carefully to the prayers said in Mass and Mass becomes so much more.

Our Father who art in Heaven - Who I include in OUR? Who should I include? A father is the head of a family. Do I see God as my (our) father? Do I seek His advice? In Heaven - my eternal home.

Hallowed be Thy Name - Do I always reverence His Name or do I use it too loosely in my daily talk with others?

Thy Kingdom Come - I know Jesus will return because He said so. I look forward to that day and hope that I am worthy to receive Him on that day.

Thy Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven - God’s Will is perfectly done in Heaven. I acknowledge my duty to do my best to do His Will on Earth.

Give us this day our daily bread - THIS day is not asking for a guarantee for the rest of my life. I need to rely on God each and every day and trust He will provide. Our daily bread does not ask for anything more than what we need to do God’s Will. I should not feel too much attachment to affulent life. There is a big difference between my needs and my wants.

Forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who tresspass against us - See again, this is a group prayer - Our, us, those. Do I bear resentment toward those who have let me down or harmed me in any way? If I expect God’s Mercy, can I not show mercy toward others in this life? God’s Second greatest Commandment is to love others, not to resent and punish them.

And lead us not into temptation, Help us to avoid the near occassions of sin.

but deliver us from evil - In my personal life and in the life of my country and in the life of this world. Give us the strength to resist the Devil especially when he appears to us in such a charming way.

Amen. So be it.
 
GratefulFred said:
Forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who tresspass against us - See again, this is a group prayer - Our, us, those. Do I bear resentment toward those who have let me down or harmed me in any way? If I expect God’s Mercy, can I not show mercy toward others in this life? God’s Second greatest Commandment is to love others, not to resent and punish them.
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I have trouble with that form of “Our” at times… because of people who hold things against me, and over me, and often when I see my own friends and family members holding grudges against ~other~ friends and family members… and sometimes when I catch myself doing it
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I try not to consider them in that light to “as we forgive those who trespass against us”… because then it would have a meaning that is the Opposite of the Intention…

I haven’t figured out a way to get past those feelings, when they pop up, at that line, so sometimes I have to stop and come back to it later =/
 
Vicktoria said:
I have trouble with that form of “Our” at times… because of people who hold things against me, and over me, and often when I see my own friends and family members holding grudges against ~other~ friends and family members… and sometimes when I catch myself doing it
.>
Click to expand...
In our private prayer to God - lifting our hearts and minds to God in conversation - we can tell God about these feelings I think we all have and ask God for His Guidance in how to deal with them.

After Communion I pray for all those I have harmed in any way and also for all those who have harmed me in any way. I want what is best for them.

There is a good article in a 2003 issue of This Rock:

catholic.com/thisrock/2003/0309bt.asp
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I’m always impressed by the fact that it is the perfect prayer. It begins with an act of faith in God - Our Father Who art in heaven, followed by adoration - Hallowed be Thy name, of hope - Thy Kingdom come - and trust - Thy Will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Then we ask Him to give us the basic spiritual and physical necessities of life - the bread of earth and the bread of heaven which unites us in love. We ask Him to forgive us as we forgive others - reconciling infinite justice and infinite mercy. With perfect symmetry the prayer ends at the other extreme from God - a request for liberation from evil. Amen!
 
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