Thursday in the Eleventh Week of Ordinary Time, June 18, 2020

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.”

Jesus says, “In praying, do not babble.”  The Greek word translated here as “babble” actually means to stammer or stutter, that is, to speak unintelligibly or without meaning.  Since the gods to whom the pagans prayed did not exist, this was a fitting way for the pagans to speak.  But in praying to the true and living God, one must take care to speak with at least as much dignity and respect as for speaking to an earthly monarch.  

Having addressed the question of how to pray, the Lord Jesus next tells us what to pray.  The prayer he teaches is the one we call The Lord’s Prayer, or, the Our Father.  It is a short, concise, very direct prayer.  Not a word in it is wasted or could be taken out of it.  No word inserted in it could improve it.  With this prayer, the believer asks for all that is necessary to live a life

 pleasing to God, and for protection against persecution and the devil. 

We ought to understand this prayer given to us by our Lord better than we do so that we can pray it with greater understanding and devotion.  The English translation we use today goes back before the year 1540 and many of the words and some of the grammar has changed since then.  Here is a translation from the Latin and Greek that is hopefully clearer:

“Our Father, who is in heaven,

may your name be sanctified:

may you kingdom come,

may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our sins

as we forgive those who sin against us,

and do not put us to the test

but deliver us from the evil one.”

A couple of notes: That this is meant primarily as a public prayer is clear from the use of “our” Father.  The main request is for the second coming of Christ for judgment.  The petitions under this one are for help in preparing for it.  “Daily bread” is in the version in Luke’s Gospel, not in Matthew’s.  In Matthew’s, Christ directs us to ask for “super-substantial bread” (the Greek word is invented for the occasion).  We might understand this as “super-abundant” bread, both in terms of quantity and quality — i.e. “the Bread of the angels”.  The “test” here is that about which Jesus spoke in Luke 22, 31: “Satan has asked to sift you like wheat.”  This is persecution, which separates the faithful from the unfaithful.  “Deliver us from the evil one.”  By strengthening us against temptation.