17th SUNDAY OF THE YEAR
‘Say this when you pray’
The ‘Our Father’ is the model of all prayer.
Two versions of this prayer are recorded in
the gospels, a longer form containing seven
petitions in the Gospel of Matthew and a shorter
form containing five petitions in the Gospel of
Luke. It is a prayer that has inspired poets and
philosophers, popes and politicians, prisoners
and paupers in every corner of the world over
the past two thousand years. Every time we
pray we use a version of the ‘Our Father’. It
is a complete programme of Christian living.
It is a summary of the entire Gospel. It covers
all of life. It covers our past sin: ‘forgive us our
trespasses’. It covers our present need: ‘give us
this day our daily bread’. It covers our future
trials: ‘lead us not into temptation’. Most
amazing of all, it ‘allows’ us to address God
as ‘Father’. This is an extraordinary privilege,
which would have been incomprehensible to
the Jews of Jesus’ day. It’s a privilege that carries
with it a challenging responsibility. If we ‘dare’
to call God ‘Father’, we must be prepared
to act as His sons and daughters should.
The ‘Our Father’ is meant to be lived.
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