REFLECTIONS TODAY

The Pater Noster (Our Father) or the Lord’s Prayer is the prayer Jesus taught his disciples. The Gospels record the prayers that Jesus addressed to the Father on several occasions, including the longest—the Priestly Prayer in John 17. 

But this is the prayer that the disciples themselves should address to the Father, directing their eyes vertically to heaven and horizontally to the world of men and women, incidentally forming a cross. In Matthew’s version of the prayer, focus is on the Father who forgives, which invites people to forgive one another if they are to be worthy to be called children of God. 

The shorter version in Luke (11:2-4) focuses on the Father who gives good gifts to his children, including the most precious gift of all, the Holy Spirit (11:13). Hence, the disciples are to ask, to seek, and to knock, confident that they will be answered. In Matthew, the Lord’s Prayer is given as an example of the right attitude while praying. Pagans “babble” with so many words to give their gods information or to overcome indifference on the deity’s part. 

The disciples, on the other hand, know that God knows their needs even before they ask him. They pray to express their confidence in God and to dispose themselves to receive the Father’s blessing.

First Reading • Sir 48:1-14 

Like a fire there appeared the prophet Elijah whose words were as a flaming furnace. Their staff of bread he shattered, in his zeal he reduced them to straits; by the Lord’s word he shut up the heavens and three times brought down fire. How awesome are you, Elijah, in your wondrous deeds!Whose glory is equal to yours? You brought a dead man back to life from the nether world, by the will of the Lord. You sent kings down to destruction, and easily broke their power into pieces. You brought down nobles, from their beds of sickness. You heard threats at Sinai, at Horeb avenging judgments. You anointed kings who should inflict vengeance, and a prophet as your successor. You were taken aloft in a whirlwind of fire, in a chariot with fiery horses. 

You were destined, it is written, in time to come to put an end to wrath before the day of the Lord, to turn back the hearts of fathers toward their sons, and to re-establish the tribes of Jacob. Blessed is he who shall have seen you and who falls asleep in your friendship. For we live only in our life, but after death our name will not be such. 

O Elijah, enveloped in the whirlwind! Then Elisha, filled with the twofold portion of his spirit, wrought many marvels by his mere word. During his lifetime he feared no one, nor was any man able to intimidate his will. Nothing was beyond his power; beneath him flesh was brought back into life. In life he performed wonders, and after death, marvelous deeds.

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.”

Source: “366 Days with the Lord 2024,” St. Paul’s, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.