Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“In praying, do not babble like the pagans.”

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 6:7-15

Jesus said to his disciples: “In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.  “This is how you are to pray: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 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. “If you forgive men their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”

 

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus presents us with the most perfect of prayers, the Lord’s prayer. One of the three pillars of good Christian Life is a focus on prayer and prayerful life. It is interesting how this readings starts out, “praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words.” He goes on to tell them, “Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” God in heaven already knows our needs. We are told not to show off with prayer, but to be simple with our requests. Do not ramble, the simpler the request, the better. Any time you think that you need something, it should always be preceded with “If it is your will, …” Of all the prayers we say, the Lord’s prayer is the most perfect prayer of all because it was given to us by Christ. It encompasses everything Christians should stand for. It is truly a prayer formed from the Words of God.

 

No matter how bad the transgressions we have committed, God is waiting for us with open arms. In the Lord’s prayer, we ask for so much with so few words. First, we call forth God, not as a deity but as a paternal person when we say “Our Father”. This means that we have a loving relationship with God. God is the Father who protects us. We then give homage to his deity, “Hallowed be thy name.” We recognize that he is almighty. We also recognize that the kingdom of God is here among us and that it is God’s will that is important, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.” We call forth the kingdom to be here with us. We should desire eternal life with God and that must begin today. You cannot wait until the last day. It is through our actions today and our fulfillment of the sacraments that leads us to heaven. We ask God in this prayer to give us all that we need to survive the day, “Give us our daily bread.” God provides all that we need to survive. But likewise, we should only ask for what we need to survive that day otherwise greed and gluttony begin to consume our lives. We thank God for providing our daily needs by being sorrowful for our sins. However, not only must we be sorrowful for our own sins, we must also forgive those who have sinned against us. Jesus says, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Lastly, we ask God to be the light of our life. We ask him to lead us out of the darkness of sin and to deliver us from evil. We should say the Lord’s Prayer as often as possible. Any time you need a little help getting through the day, say the Lord’s prayer.

 

A Simple and perfect Prayer

 

Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our debts,

As we also have forgiven our debtors;

And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon