Reflections on The Our Father

October is upon us and the Church celebrates the month of the rosary.  I have written previously on the topic of the rosary and you can find my reflection in our archives under “To some all is not rosy when it comes to the rosary”.  As a result I will abstain from a reflection on the rosary as a whole and center upon one of the prayers that we pray in the rosary, The Our Father.

What follows are reflections upon the prayer that Jesus taught us by one of the greatest minds and holiest person in Church history, St. Thomas Aquinas. 

I hope you find this meditation spiritually fruitful.

THE OUR FATHER

(Notes from the meditations of St. Thomas Aquinas)

Preeminent, for it excels in the five conditions required in prayer:  confidence, rectitude, order, devotion, and humility.

CONFIDENCE:  prayer should be confident, Heb. 4:16, James 1:6

RECTITUDE:  prayer should have rectitude, so that we ask God that which is good for us, James 4:1-8, it is difficult to know what we ought to desire therefore the Father has given us the Holy Spirit, Romans 8:26

ORDER:  as desire should be orderly, so should prayer, since it is the expression of desire. Now right order is that our desires and prayers should prefer spiritual goods over carnal goods, Matthew 6:33.  Our Lord teaches us this right order in the Our Father in which we pray for first for heavenly and after for earthly blessings.

DEVOUTNESS:   prayer should be devout, because the unction of devotion makes the sacrifice of prayer acceptable to God, Psalm 63:5-6.

HUMILITY:  prayer should be humble, Luke 18:10-14

Let us now begin our study of the OUR FATHER, THE LORD’S PRAYER

OUR FATHER: Why do we call God Father:  1) He created us.  Genesis 1:26-27, Deuteronomy 32:6   2) He governs us, Wisdom 14:3.  3) He adopted us, Romans 8

WHO ART IN HEAVEN: it may be taken to refer to three things:  1) the imitating of heavenly things, 1 Corinthians 15:45-49   2) the contemplating of heavenly things, for a man is wont to turn his thought more often where his father is, and where those things are that he loves, Matthew 6:19-21, Philippians 3:17-20 3) the searching for heavenly things, so that from Him Who is in heaven we seek nothing but what is heavenly: Colossians 3:1-4

HALLOWED BE THY NAME:  (THIS IS THE FIRST OF SEVEN PETITIONS) In this first petition we ask that God’s name be manifested and heralded.  1) God’s name is wonderful, because in all creatures it works wonders:  Mark 16:15-18   2) God’s name is lovable:  Acts 4:12.  We have the example of St. Ignatius of Antioch when he was ordered by the Emperor Trajen to deny Christ, he answered, “Even though you take it from my mouth you will never take it from my heart; for it is imprinted on my heart, and therefore I cannot cease to invoke it.”  3) God’s name is venerable:  Philippians 2:10

THY KINGDOM COME:  (SECOND PETITION) since the kingdom of God always was, why must we ask for it to come?  The answer may be understood in three ways.  1) All things may become subject to him.  God in his very essence and nature is Lord of all and Christ is Lord of all.  2) The Kingdom signifies the glory of paradise.  Now since God wills men to be saved, God’s will is the salvation of mankind, 1 Timothy 2:1-6. In this world, however, there are many things contrary to the salvation of mankind.  When, therefore, we pray, “Thy Kingdom come”, we ask to be made partakers of the heavenly kingdom and of the glory of paradise.   3) Because sometimes sin reigns in this world.  This occurs when a man is so disposed that he follows at once the lure of sin and carries it into effect, Romans 6:12.  When therefore we ask that His kingdom may come, we pray that God (and not sin) may reign in us.

THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN (Third petition) God’s wills three things in our regard, which we pray to be fulfilled:  1) Eternal life Romans 6:20-23  2) Obedience to the commandments Matthew 19:17  3) Restoration of the original dignity of man 2 Corinthians 5:17.

GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD (Fourth petition) the twofold meaning of bread.  1) Sacramental bread.  Thus, we ask for our Sacramental Bread which is prepared for us every day in the Church, praying that as we receive it sacramentally, so may it profit us unto salvation, John 6: 31      2) The Word of God.  Again this bread is the Word of God, Matthew 4:4

AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US (Fifth petition) Reasons for asking forgiveness.  From this petition we gather two things that we need in this life.   1) That we may be ever fearful humble, 1 John 1:8  2) That we should ever live in hope Romans 5:5

AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION (Sixth petition) The sources of temptation  1) the flesh, James 1:14   2) the Devil:  Romans 7:22-23, James 4:7, 1 Peter 5:8     3) The world  Matthew 13:22

BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL  (Seventh petition)  God strengthens us through trials, Romans 5:3, 1 Peter 1: 6-9.

To all these petitions the faithful say:  AMEN.