Date: Thursday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time
Scripture Text: 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 others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”
Breaking the text open – background and summary:
The gospel reading for today continues our reading of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. In today’s text, Jesus focuses on teaching us about prayer beginning with the understanding that more words aren’t necessary; our Heavenly Father knows our needs before we ask. Jesus gives us the words of the “Our Father,” teaching us to address our LORD and relate to our LORD as “Our Father.” The familiar prayer begins with praise and the loving desire to do as the Father wills. Then the prayer invites us to bring our needs/petitions to the LORD. Next, we are taught to seek mercy and forgiveness, but warned that it will be given to us in the measure with which we ourselves are forgiving. It ends with the petition to be protected from evil.
Meditating on the text with personal questions:
Do I bring my needs with faith, hope and love to the Father? How will my habits of forgiveness affect the mercy I myself seek?
Praying:
LORD, Almighty Father, your Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, taught us how to pray, calling upon You as “Father,” bringing both our physical and spiritual needs to You. I come before You this day, full of love and desiring to live a life that will bring glory to You and peace to me as I journey home to life in You. Send your Spirit to tenderize my heart and mind so that I might be an instrument of your mercy, forgiving others as You forgive me. Grant that I might live into the one You created me to be and the disciple your beloved Son calls me to be. I ask this in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Spirit, one LORD, forever and ever. Amen.
A very beautiful prayer that you have given us to repeat every day! Thank you