First reading Isaiah 55:10-11
The word that goes out from my mouth does not return to me empty
Thus says the Lord: ‘As the rain and the snow come down from the heavens and do not return without watering the earth, making it yield and giving growth to provide seed for the sower and bread for the eating, so the word that goes from my mouth does not return to me empty, without carrying out my will and succeeding in what it was sent to do.’
Responsorial Psalm 33(34):4-7,16-19
The Lord rescues the just in all their distress.
Glorify the Lord with me.
Together let us praise his name.
I sought the Lord and he answered me;
from all my terrors he set me free.
Look towards him and be radiant;
let your faces not be abashed.
This poor man called, the Lord heard him
and rescued him from all his distress.
The Lord turns his face against the wicked
to destroy their remembrance from the earth.
The Lord turns his eyes to the just
and his ears to their appeal.
They call and the Lord hears
and rescues them in all their distress.
The Lord is close to the broken-hearted;
those whose spirit is crushed he will save.
Gospel Matthew 6:7-15
How to pray
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘In your prayers do not babble as the pagans do, for they think that by using many words they will make themselves heard. Do not be like them; your Father knows what you need before you ask him. So you should pray like this:
‘Our Father in heaven,
may your name be held holy,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven those who are in debt to us.
And do not put us to the test,
but save us from the evil one.
‘Yes, if you forgive others their failings, your heavenly Father will forgive you yours; but if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive your failings either.’
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Our Father knows what we need
The “Our Father” is the most recited prayer by all Christians. In it, Jesus summarises the essence of our Christian life. Therefore, the Our Father is not only a prayer to be said but to be lived. For Jesus, prayer and life go together, that is why when we pray: ‘Your Kingdom come, your will be done’, we are committing ourselves to bring His Kingdom of peace, love, and justice to the environment where we live. By doing so, we are doing His will.
Jesus teaches us to confidently place ourselves in the Father’s hands, knowing He knows what we need. When we ask Him for our necessities, He reminds us to pray, not only asking for ourselves but also being concerned with the needs of others. God is not only ‘My Father’ but “Our Father”. As we pray the Our Father, let us see others as members of the same family of God, and as such, we cannot be on good terms with God if we are not concerned and reconciled with our brothers and sisters.
Reflective question:
How can I live this prayer today?
How can I live this prayer today?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year B” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD.
