In today’s Gospel Jesus teaches us how to pray. He teaches us not only the words to use but also our attitude in approaching God. We should approach God with simplicity and trust. We do not need to use a lot of honorific titles to “butter” God up to make him listen to us. Jesus says simply:
“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.”
Jesus teaches us to address God with childlike trust: “Abba, Father.” Although God knows what we need, he still wants to hear from us. He wants to hear from us both our joys and our sorrows, our time of deep faith and questioning doubt. God wants us to be honest with him.
The first two petitions of the Our Father are basically reminding us to allow God to be God: “hallowed be thy name, thy Kingdom come.” God shows his holiness by establishing his Kingdom. What is this Kingdom of God? It is wherever God’s will is done. We acknowledge and acclaim God’s holiness when we strive to do God’s will here on earth. God’s will and way is made clear and concrete in Jesus’ teaching and his way. As Jesus shows us, God’s will and way is the way of compassion, of welcoming, of love. God’s Kingdom is present when we feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger or immigrant. (Matthew 25:31-46).
We also pray to God for our daily sustenance: “Give us this day our daily bread.” We recognize that we need for God for both our spiritual and our physical well-being. Jesus feeds our deepest hungers: “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” (John 6:35). We hear this petition of the Our Father echoed in the Prayer over the Gifts at mass today:
“O God, who in the offerings presented here provide for the twofold needs of human nature, nourishing us with food and renewing us with your Sacrament, grant, we pray, that the sustenance they provide may not fail us in body or in spirit.” (Prayer over the Offerings,” 11th Week in Ordinary Times.)
Image: “Ethiopia: Innocent Prayers of a Young Child” by babasteve is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.