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.

What an incredible gift Jesus gave us in this prayer. “Lord teach us to pray” the disciples requested, and Jesus taught us the most famous prayer of all history. But, how often do we rattle off the prayer without truly considering what we are saying? How often are our minds wondering as we recite it for the umpteenth time at mass or during the rosary? My friend gave a fantastic exposition on the true meaning of this prayer this week, drawn from the Catechism, and I thought I would share some of the interesting highlights.

Our Father – incorporates all people, bounds and dimensions of this world, even those who do not know him. It also qualifies that there is only one God that we share. When we pray to the Father, we are in communion with him and with his Son. It is also interesting that Jesus chose these words, Abba in Aramaic, the same ones which Jewish children used to address their father. It denotes a close, intimate relationship, just as our earthly father loves, cares, and provides for us in ways no one else is able to.

Who art in Heaven - not specifically denoting a place, but a way of being. Not distant, but majestic. It is in the ‘presence in the hearts of the just’

Hallowed be thy name – asking that the name of God be known and blessed by every man. This is the first petition, and rightly so, it is the most urgent!

Thy Kingdom Come – this is praying for the final return of the Kingdom of God. As St. Cyrl of Jerusalem puts it: “Only a pure soul who has purified himself in action, thought, and word will boldly say to God: “Thy kingdom come!”” This is not just the feel good nicities of Jesus’ kingdom, but the full monty!

Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven – As it is stated in Romans, it is only through prayer that we can even discern what the will of God is. But, we do know that Jesus commanded us that we ‘love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.’ Thus, this petition is praying that we are able to live Jesus’ commandment daily.

Give us this day, our daily bread – We trust in God to provide all for us. ‘Our bread denotes the nourishment of material as well as spiritual food – the bread of life.

And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us – This petition will not be heard unless we have first met a strict requirement – the second phrase. Only if we forgive others will the Lord grant us pardon.

Lead us not into temptation – This petition goes to the root of the preceding one, our sin results only from consenting to temptation. God does not tempt anyone. We are thus seeking Go’s grace of vigilance and final perseverance.

But deliver us from evil – evil is not abstract, but directly refers to Satan. This is while we wait for the coming of Christ who will free us definitively from the Evil One.