11th Week in Ord. Time, Thursday – 16th June 2022 — Gospel: Mt 6,7-15
Prayer as a Way of Life
Jesus urges his disciples to be men of prayer, by teaching them his personal prayer. He teaches that prayer is not just a multiplication of words, rather a relationship with God and with children of God. The first part of the prayer begins with calling God as Father and then focuses on what belongs to God: God’s holy name, God’s reign, and God’s will. If we focus on these things, we will be in right relationship with God. We will be justified by God because we are seeking to do what God wants, not what we want. In the second part, we find that God provides what we need for each and every day – our daily nourishment. One more thing we need each day is God’s forgiveness. In this model prayer, Jesus teaches that we ask God to forgive us in the same way as we forgive others. This means, our relationship with the Father and with the other children of God are enhanced by our forgiving them and they forgiving us. Here Forgiveness is received from God and given to others. While we must acknowledge our dependence on God for everything as primary cause, our attitude to others must be one of acceptance and forgiveness. The Lord’s prayer is not just a mere prayer, it is a way of life based on our relationship.
