Tuesday of the First Week of Lent - March 12, 2019

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Isaiah 55:10-11  Matthew 6:7-15

Praying the Our Father on this Lenten day and every other day, I am reminded that in these gospel verses Jesus wants us to feel our words rather than recite them as rote.  In Matthew's narrative, Jesus gave us simple and direct words, stripped of any exalted phrasings.  He says, "This is how you are to pray: 'Our Father…'.     

Throughout my life, lines from the Our Father have had deep significance for me at different times.  When I was younger, the "give us this day our daily bread" request had prominence because it was about security (i.e. getting a job, earning a degree). At another time, perhaps when I became more honest about relationships, the "forgive my trespasses as I forgive those who …. give slights or injury to me" resonated with real-life interactions. These lines prompted me to better understand God's merciful forgiveness and how I, too, must show mercy. I still strive to learn the "balance of forgiveness," working to withhold judgment in thought and action.

Before, when I recalled Jesus' words to Pilate, "My Kingdom is not of this world," I thought that only after I die would I see the Kingdom. Now, I sense a deeper and more important urgency for our time and in our culture.  There is such expansiveness in God's providence and mercy that I now see the words "….your Kingdom come" in a way that I had missed before. The Father's Kingdom is here and now. 

Perhaps we should all consider revisiting and reimagining the words of Jesus with the goal of infusing a new spirit and meaning into a familiar prayer.   

Q:  Pray the “Our Father” slowly and with intention. Revisit and reimagine the words of Jesus. As you pray this familiar prayer, what new spirit or meaning comes to mind, especially at this time in your life?

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