Matthew 6:9-13
Our Father…
God is the source of life. He is the Creator of all people and the Protector of the human race. He loves us as a father loves his children. And we call on His Divine help with faith, hope, and love. We pray to God with childlike trust. We call Him the Father. After all, the Lord is close to us. We are all children of the same Father. For God, everyone is equal. We are one family. His love for us is unlimited. He wants us to love one another like brothers and sisters.
…who art in Heaven…
Art is the old way of saying “are.” God resides in Heaven. In Heaven, the Mother of God, angels, and saints of God serve God, worship Him, and glorify Him. Everything about God is heavenly – sinless, pure, and holy.
God is Beauty, Truth, and Light. Hallowed means blessed. God’s name is holy. When we pronounce it with reverence and love, the Lord Himself shines in our hearts. We pray that the whole world recognizes His beauty and holiness. God, help us live according to Your commandments so that through our good deeds, all people will praise Your holy name.
…Thy kingdom come….
Thy is the old way of saying “Your.” The Kingdom of Heaven is the grace of the Holy Spirit. By grace, repentance comes to us and helps us clean our hearts from all impurity. God dwells in us. And where God is, there is His Kingdom – the Kingdom of Peace, Goodness, and Love!
…Thy will be done…
Let everything be as God wishes and desires for us, through His will. We fully trust in His providence and care. Everything in our life, including joy and sorrow, we accept as God’s wish.
…on earth as it is in Heaven.
We ask the Lord to help us fulfill His will humbly, faithfully, and with love, like the Mother of God and the Holy Angels in Heaven. While Adam and Eve lived in obedience to God, there was paradise on earth. If we live according to the will of God, we bring Heaven to the earth. Obedience to God is the beginning of Heaven on earth.
…Give us this day our daily bread….
God provides everything we need for each day. He teaches us not to ask for wealth and luxury but only for the most necessary things, always relying on His divine mercy. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the Heavenly Bread. When we partake of the holy bread in the divine mystery of Holy Communion, we are sanctified and united with God and with each other.
…and forgive us our trespasses…
Trespasses are our sins. The Lord forgives the sins of those who sincerely repent them. In the Lord’s prayer, we ask not only for ourselves, but also for each other.
…as we forgive those who trespass against us….
We should forgive those who have offended us. If we forgive, the Lord will forgive us too; and if we do not forgive, our sins will remain with us.
…and lead us not into temptation…
Temptation is a test of our heart between good and evil. Which will we choose? We pray that the Lord does not allow temptations beyond measure. We must avoid temptation and resist evil. God will protect us when we seek His protection.
…but deliver us from the evil one….
We pray to Almighty God for protection from the evil one, the devil. The evil one is cunning and deceitful. It is he who sows terrible thoughts and desires in us, pushes us to sin, lulls our conscience, justifying our evil deeds before us. We need to resist evil and untruth and always pray to God for help and protection.
…for Thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever.
Thine means “Yours.” Praising and thanking the Lord, we express hope in Him, for God belongs to the KINGDOM over the world. He has the POWER to fulfill our requests, and to Him belongs eternal GLORY and THANKSGIVING forever.
Amen.
So be it.