Prayer:

I would like to talk to you today about something that’s very dear to people of faith everywhere. And, that is Prayer.

Simply put, Prayer is communion or dialogue with the Lord. The best way to communicate with Our Father in Heaven is by meditating on His word in the Scriptures. We have this great gift of God’s word in the Scriptures so we can enter into dialogue with Him. By meditating on His word, we remain united to Him and He to us.

Prayer is not the same as repetition. Some people think that by repeating prayers over and over again, they will gain a hearing before the Lord. Jesus says that this is not Prayer: “When you pray,” He says, “do not prattle on like pagans thinking thinking they will gain a hearing through the multiplication of words.” ( Matthew 6:7 ) “Rather,” He says, “when you pray, go into your room, close your door, and pray to your Heavenly Father in secret; and your Heavenly Father who knows what you need will listen to you” (Matthew 6:6).

Jesus prayed. We might ask: Why did Jesus have to pray? He was the Son of God and was always in communion with His Father. So, why did He need to pray? We must remember that Jesus was also the Son of man, and, as a man, He needed to withdraw from the many cares of the world to be in communion with His Father.

One day, the disciples observed Jesus praying, and they asked Him to teach them how to pray. Jesus acceded to their request and gave them the Our Father which is also known as The Lord’s Prayer. We have been so blessed to have this magnificent prayer handed down to us by the Church to this very day. The Lord’s prayer must be prayed slowly, thoughtfully, and with reference to our lives. A famous Saint, St. Teresa of Avila, said that one Our Father, prayed slowly, is better than a thousand Our Father’s repeated quickly.

I would like to offer you the following meditation on this most frequently used prayer. I hope you find it helpful. Matthew chapter 6:9-13)

I cannot say “Our” if my religion has no room for other people and their needs.
I cannot say “Father” if I do not acknowledge everyone as my brother and sister.
I cannot say “Who art in Heaven” if all my interests and pursuits are earthly things.
I cannot say “Hallowed be Thy Name” if I do not fight prejudice in His name.
I cannot say “Thy Kingdom come” if I am unwilling to accept the reign of God.
I cannot say “Thy Will be done” if I negate His guidance by insisting on my own will.
I cannot say “on earth as it is in Heaven” if I do not put His word into practice.
I cannot say “ Give us this day our daily bread” if I do not feed the hungry.
I cannot say “ Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us” if I harbor a grudge against anyone.
I cannot say “Lead is not into temptation” if I am not willing to avoid the occasions of sin.
I cannot say “Deliver us from evil” if I do not fight against the evils of the world.
I cannot say “Amen” if I do not commit myself to this prayer, heart and soul.