EXPLANATION OF THE LORD'S PRAYER
FIVE QUALITIES OF PRAYER
"Our Father who art in heaven." Among all other prayers, the Lord's Prayer holds the chief place. It has five excellent qualities which are required in all prayer. A prayer must be confident, ordered, suitable, devout and humble.
It must be confident: "Let us, therefore, go with confidence to the throne of grace."[1] It must not be wanting in faith, as it is said: "But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering."[2] That this is a most trustworthy prayer is reasonable, since it was formed by Him who is our Advocate and the most wise Petitioner for us: "In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge;"[3] and of whom it is said: "For we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the just one."[4] Hence, St. Cyprian says: "Since we have Christ as our Advocate with the Father for our sins, when we pray on account of our faults, we use the very words of our Advocate."[5]
Furthermore, this prayer is even more worthy of confidence in that He who taught us how to pray, graciously hears our prayer together with the Father, as it is said in the Psalm: "He shall cry to Me, and I will hear him."[6] Thus writes St. Cyprian: "It is a friendly, familiar, and devout prayer to ask of the Lord in His own words."[7] And so no one goes away from this prayer without fruit. St. Augustine says that through it our venial sins are remitted.[8]
Moreover, our prayer must be suitable, so that a person asks of God in prayer what is good for him. St. John Damascene says: "Prayer is the asking of what is right and fitting from God."[9] Many times our prayer is not heard because we seek that which is not good for us: "You ask and you do not receive, because you ask amiss."[10] To know, indeed, what one ought to pray for is most difficult; for it is not easy to know what one ought to desire. Those things which we rightly seek in prayer are rightly desired; hence the Apostle says: "For we know not what we should pray for as we ought."[11] Christ Himself is our Teacher; it is He who teaches us what we ought to pray for, and it was to Him that the disciples said: "Lord, teach us to pray."[12] Those things, therefore, which He has taught us to pray for, we most properly ask for. "Whatsoever words we use in prayer," says St. Augustine, "we cannot but utter that which is contained in our Lord's Prayer, if we pray in a suitable and worthy manner."[13]
Our prayer ought also to be ordered as our desires should be ordered, for prayer is but the expression of desire. Now, it is the correct order that we prefer spiritual to bodily things, and heavenly things to those merely earthly. This is according to what is written: "Seek ye first therefore the kingdom of God and His justice, and all these things shall be added unto you."[14] Here Our Lord shows that heavenly things must be sought first, and then things material.
Our prayer must be devout, because a rich measure of piety makes the sacrifice of prayer acceptable to God: "In Thy name I will lift up my hands. Let my soul be filled with marrow and fatness."[15] Many times because of the length of our prayers our devotion grows cool; hence Our Lord taught us to avoid wordiness in our prayers: "When you are praying, speak not much."[16] And St. Augustine says: "Let much talking be absent from prayer; but as long as fervor continues, let prayer likewise go on."[17] For this reason the Lord made His Prayer short. Devotion in prayer rises from charity which is our love of God and neighbor, both of which are evident in this prayer. Our love for God is seen in that we call God "our Father;" and our love for our neighbor when we say: "Our Father... forgive us our trespasses," and this leads us to love of neighbor.
Prayer ought to be humble: "He hath had regard for the prayer of the humble."[18] This is seen in the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican (Luke, xviii. 9-15), and also in the words of Judith: "The prayer of the humble and the meek hath always pleased Thee."[19] This same humility is observed in this prayer, for true humility is had when a person does not presume upon his own powers, but from the divine strength expects all that he asks for.
It must be noted that prayer brings about three good effects. First, prayer is an efficacious and useful remedy against evils. Thus, it delivers us from the sins we have committed: "Thou hast forgiven the wickedness of my sin. For this shall every one that is holy pray to Thee in a seasonable time."[20] The thief on the Cross prayed and received forgiveness: "This day thou shalt be with Me in paradise."[21] Thus also prayed the Publican, and "went down to his home justified."[22] Prayer, also, frees one from the fear of future sin, and from trials and sadness of soul: "Is any one of you sad? Let him pray."[23] Again it delivers one from persecutors and enemies: "Instead of making me a return of love, they detracted me, but I gave myself to prayer."[24]
In the second place, prayer is efficacious and useful to obtain all that one desires: "All things whatsoever you ask when you pray, believe that you shall receive."[25] When our prayers are not heard, either we do not persevere in prayer, whereas "we ought always to pray, and not to faint,"[26] or we do not ask for that which is more conducive to our salvation. "Our good Lord often does not give us what we wish," says St. Augustine, "because it would really be what we do not wish for." St. Paul gives us an example of this in that he thrice prayed that the sting of his flesh be removed from him, and his prayer was not heard.[27] Thirdly, prayer is profitable because it makes us friends of God: "Let my prayer be directed as incense in Thy sight."[28]
ENDNOTES
1. Heb., iv. 16. 2. James, i. 6. 3. Col., ii. 3. 4. I John, ii. 1. 5. "De oratione dominica." 6. Ps. xc. 15. 7. "Ibid." 8. "Enchir., lxxviii. 9. "De fide orthodoxa," III, c. 24. 10. James, iv. 3. 11. Rom., viii. 26. 12. Luke, xi. 1. 13. "Ad Probam," Epist. cxxx. 14. Matt., vi. 33. 15. Ps. lxii. 5. 16. Matt., vi. 7. 17. "Loc. cit." 18. Ps. ci. 18. 19. Jud., ix. 16. 20. Ps. xxxi. 5. 21. Luke, xxiii. 43. 22. Ibid., xviii. 14. 23. James, v. 13. 24. Ps. xviii. 4. 25. Mark, xi. 24. 26. Luke, xviii. 1. 27. II Cor., xii. 7. 28. Ps. cxi. 2.
THE OPENING WORDS OF THE LORD'S PRAYER
PREPARATION FOR THE PETITIONS
Our FATHER.--Note here two things, namely, that God is our Father, and what we owe to Him because He is our Father. God is our Father by reason of our special creation, in that He created us in His image and likeness, and did not so create all inferior creatures: "Is not He thy Father, that made thee, and created thee?"[1] Likewise God is our Father in that He governs us, yet treats us as masters, and not servants, as is the case with all other things. "For Thy providence, Father, governeth all things;"[2] and "with great favor disposest of us."[3] God is our Father also by reason of adoption. To other creatures He has given but a small gift, but to us an heredity--indeed, "if sons, heirs also."[4] "For you have not received the spirit of bondage again in fear; but you have received the spirit of adoption of sons, whereby we cry, Abba (Father)."[5]
We owe God, our Father, four things. First, honor: "If then I be a Father, where is My honor?"[6] Now, honor consists in three qualities. (1) It consists in giving praise to God: "The sacrifice of praise shall glorify Me."[7] This ought not merely come from the lips, but also from the heart, for: "This people draw near Me with their mouth, and with their lips glorify Me, but their heart is far from Me."[8] (2) Honor, again, consists in purity of body towards oneself: "Glorify and bear God in your body."[9] (3) Honor also consists in just estimate of one's neighbor, for: "The king's honor loveth judgment."[10]
Secondly, since God is our Father, we ought to imitate Him: "Thou shalt call Me Father, and shalt not cease to walk after Me."[11] This imitation of our Father consists of three things. (1) It consists in love: "Be ye therefore followers of God, as most dear children; and walk in love."[12] This love of God must be from the heart. (2) It consists in mercy: "Be ye merciful."[13] This mercy must likewise come from the heart, and it must be in deed. (3) Finally, imitation of God consists in being perfect, since love and mercy should be perfect: "Be ye therefore perfect, as also your Heavenly Father is perfect."[14]
Thirdly, we owe God obedience: "Shall we not much more obey the Father of spirits?"[15] We must obey God for three reasons. First, because He is our Lord: "All things that the Lord has spoken we will do, we will be obedient."[16] Secondly, because He has given us the example of obedience, for the true Son of God "became obedient to His Father even unto death."[17] Thirdly, because it is for our good: "I will play before the Lord who hath chosen me."[18] Fourthly, we owe God patience when we are chastised by Him: "Reject not the correction of the Lord; and do not faint when thou art chastised by Him. For whom the Lord loveth He chastises; and as a father in the son He pleaseth Himself.[19]
OUR Father.--From this we see that we owe our neighbor both love and reverence. We must love our neighbor because we are all brothers, and all men are sons of God, our Father: "For he that loveth not his brother whom he seeth, how can he love God whom he seeth not?"[20] We owe reverence to our neighbor because he is also a child of God: "Have we not all one Father? Hath not one God created us? Why then does everyone of us despise his brother?"[21] And again: "With honor preventing one another."[22] We do this because of the fruit we receive, for "He became to all that obey the cause of eternal salvation."[23]
(For "Questions for Discussion" see Chapter 6.)
THE PREEMINENCE OF GOD
Who Art in Heaven.--Among all that is necessary for one who prays, faith is above all important: "Let him ask in faith, nothing wavering."[24] Hence, the Lord, teaching us to pray, first mentions that which causes faith to spring up, namely, the kindness of a father. So, He says "Our Father," in the meaning which is had in the following: "If you then being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father from heaven give the good Spirit to them that ask him!"[25] Then, He says "Who art in heaven" because of the greatness of His power: "To Thee have I lifted up my eyes, who dwellest in heaven."[26]
The words, "who art in heaven," signify three things. First, it serves as a preparation for him who utters the prayer, for, as it is said: "Before prayer prepare thy soul."[27] Thus, "in heaven" is understood for the glory of heaven: "For your reward is very great in heaven."[28] And this preparation ought to be in the form of an imitation of heavenly things, since the son ought to imitate his Father: "Therefore, as we have borne the image of the earthly, let us bear also the image of the heavenly."[29] So also this preparation ought to be through contemplation of heavenly things, because men are wont to direct their thoughts to where they have a Father and others whom they love, as it is written: "For where thy treasure is, there is thy heart also."[30] The Apostle wrote: "Our conversation is in heaven."[31] Likewise, we prepare through attention to heavenly things, so that we may then seek only spiritual things from Him who is in heaven: "Seek things that are above, where Christ is."[32]
"Who art in heaven" can also pertain to Him who hears us, who is nearest to us; and then the "in heaven" is understood to mean "in devout persons" in whom God dwells, as it is written: "Thou, O Lord, art among us."[33] For holy persons are called "the heavens" in the Psalm: "The heavens show forth the glory of God,"[34] since God dwells in the devout through faith. "That Christ may dwell by faith in your hearts."[35] God also dwells in us through love: "He that abideth in charity, abideth in God and God in him."[36] And also through the keeping of the commandments: "If any one love Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and will make Our abode with him."[37]