The Lord’s Prayer with Emphasis Placed on “As we ourselves also have forgiven our debtors.” This seventh reflection on the Lord’s Prayer shifts our focus to the forgiveness we offer others in the light of the Father’s immeasurable love shown to us through his forgiveness of our sins. Our Father […] Read more
The Lord’s Prayer: Reflection VI
The Lord’s Prayer with Emphasis Placed on “And forgive us our debts.” This sixth reflection on the Lord’s Prayer turns our eyes toward the Father’s immeasurable love and how he has forgiven us for our sins. Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. – All praise to you, Father, […] Read more
The Lord’s Prayer: Reflection V
The Lord’s Prayer with Emphasis Placed on “Give us this day our daily bread.” This fifth reflection on the Lord’s Prayer turns our eyes toward the Father and how he provides for our every material and spiritual need. Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. – Your name, Father, […] Read more
The Lord’s Prayer: Reflection IV
The Lord’s Prayer with Emphasis Placed on “On earth as it is in heaven” This fourth reflection on the Lord’s Prayer turns our focus toward the Father’s active involvement in this present world and this present time. Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. – We praise you, Father, […] Read more
The Lord’s Prayer: Reflection III
The Lord’s Prayer with Emphasis Placed on “Your will be done (on earth as it is in heaven)“ This third reflection on the Lord’s Prayer guides our thoughts as we seek to understand the Father’s will and directs our actions as we strive to follow the will of the Father. […] Read more
The Lord’s Prayer: Reflection II
The Lord’s Prayer with Emphasis Placed on “Your kingdom come (on earth as it is in heaven).” This second reflection on the Lord’s Prayer helps us better understand the Father’s present and emerging kingdom for which we pray. Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. – Let your kingdom, […] Read more
The Lord’s Prayer: Reflection I
The Lord’s Prayer with Emphasis Placed on “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” This first reflection shows the entire Lord’s Prayer as a litany of praise as we pray and meditate on the many ways in which the Father’s name — his nature and his character — is […] Read more
The Lord’s Prayer Reflected Upon Itself
I usually walk my dog each day along one of the many local park trails and I allow my mind to wander. One day I found myself thinking about a lesson I learned during my time in the theater: the meaning of any sentence is largely determined by where the […] Read more
The Lord’s Prayer and the Sermon on the Mount: A Summary
The words from the Lord’s Prayer ripple, not only through the pages of Matthew’s Gospel but also through the most famous of Jesus’s sermons, the Sermon on the Mount. When Jesus sat down on the mountaintop to teach, I doubt that his disciples grasped the full breadth and depth of […] Read more
The Lord’s Prayer and Matthew’s Gospel: A Summary, Part 2
The previous post summarized how Matthew’s Gospel helps inform us how to better pray the Lord’s Prayer, and specifically, it was focused on the first four statements of the Lord’s Prayer. The traditional approach to the Lord’s Prayer categorizes each statement as a petition, but such a categorization seems to […] Read more