Christ taught the “Our Father,” the model for all prayer
AFTER A NIGHT spent in prayer, our Lord called HIS disciples around Himself and chose twelve of them to be His Apostles. Then, in company with these Apostles and a large group of disciples, He descended to a spot on the mountain where a great crowd was waiting. In the sermon He delivered that morning there were words for both intimate followers and chance listeners; both groups had vague notions about Christ and His mission on earth. The sermon was a rich sampling of Christ’s teachings and maxims. But it was not a complete exposition, for it included, for instance, no references to the coming Redemption, to the Church or the Sacraments. Nevertheless, the effect of what He said that morning must have been tremendous. The Gospel itself tells us that there was great admiration and astonishment at the clearness, the novelty, the depth and beauty of this teaching.
Such would have been the reaction to His words on prayer. Ostentation in praying, Christ pointed out, will have no reward from God. As a model for the Christian’s prayer He gave us the “Our Father,” in which we pray, first of all, that God may be glorified. We should pray also for material needs, “our daily bread,” with all that it implies for our bodily, mental, and moral well being. Finally, we should pray to be delivered from any evils that might impede our service of God.
Christ, with His disciples around Him, taught the perfect prayer. Today, mothers gather their children around them and teach them to pray. The “Our Father” can always be the model of all prayer for young and old.
Matthew 6:1-15 | Luke 11:1-4 | Deuteronomy 15:7-11
Information from The Life of Christ “Our Lord’s Life with Lesson in His Own Words for Our Life Today” edited by Reverend John P. O’Connell, MASTD and Jex Martin, MA following mainly A Chronological Harmony of the Gospels by Stephen J Hartdegen OFM NIHIL OBSTAT John A McMahon; IMPRIMATUR Samuel Cardinal Stritch, Archbishop of Chicago.
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