Prayer

In today’s gospel (Matthew 6: 7 – 15), Jesus said to his disciples:  “In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

“This is how you are to pray:   ‘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.’

“If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you.  But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”

In many ways it seems so simple to pray and in other ways it is not.  When Jesus taught his disciples to pray he told the:  keep it simple, keep practicing and keep doing it.  The Lord’s 

Prayer, so familiar, is not just a beautiful prayer; it models for us what prayer should be.  Jesus tells us to worship him, submit ourselves to his will, trust and forgive. Perhaps if we keep trying our prayer will become the prayer that Jesus wants for us. 

Pat Schifini, OSU