St. Augustine said that every prayer we could ever think of is already in the Lord’s Prayer. The Our Father is like spiritual cross-training: in its seven petitions, we hit all the major “muscle groups” we need for a strong connection with God, ourselves, and our neighbors.
On this Father’s Day, we revisit a meditation on the Our Father that came to me one day in prayer. Join me on an informal stroll through this most powerful prayer — the one Jesus himself gave us — as we ponder how it applies to the stresses we’re facing today.
Love always,
Rose
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Lord of heaven and earth, your name is above every other name in the universe. You are the Lord of all. Grant me the grace to revere everything about you because your name encompasses all that you are. Grant me the grace to hold in reverence everything you have created, for you promise us that it is good. Grant me the grace to cling to the good and always be filled up by the goodness you have put in me and in every other human being and in all creation.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
I want to want your will, Father. Help me to realize at every moment, especially this precious moment, that your will is working powerfully in me. I invite you, Lord, to work your glorious will in me throughout this whole day.
Give us this day our daily bread.
“I am the bread of life,” your son reminds me. Can I be like Mary and choose the better part today? Even in my busiest times, will you place his heart close to mine so I may feed from the only nourishment my soul needs?
Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
Lord, forgiveness is hard for me. My pride is pricked by so many evils. Let me stay close to you, Father, and soak in your mercy so that I may show your mercy to those who so greatly test my charity and patience by unjust words and actions. Blessed Mother, who stood resolutely at the foot of the Cross, trusting that God would bring the greatest mercy out of the greatest injustice, pray for me.
Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
Lord it seems that I am surrounded by the evil that has been unleashed on the world. And I am ambushed by my own unloving thoughts and desires. Be my refuge today, Lord. When I am tempted to answer evil with evil, focus my mind on the good I can do in that moment, so that your love becomes the driving force for every thought, word, and action throughout this day.
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory now and forever.
Lord, draw my mind to your glorious purpose for me and let my thoughts and imagination find their peace and happiness in you alone. Thank you, Father, for calling me in this moment to unite with your son’s Sacred Heart in prayer. I love you. Be with me always.
Amen.
Marie Ramos
Thank you for this prayer. May blessings your way amen.
Marion K Arens
Beautiful and gives one alot to think about.
Not just the rote that we were taught so many many
years ago. It got substance,and truth but mainly love.
Marcia Reidy
Well done. Thank you.
Rose Folsom
COMMENTS VIA EMAIL
Hi Rose,
Thank you for sharing this! What impressed me the most is the interpretation of, “Give us this day our daily Bread..”. For some reason, I had never associated “bread” with “the Bread of Life”! Isn’t that odd?
Of course it makes ever so much more sense that we should pray to receive Our Lord Jesus Christ daily, as we can do nothing worth doing without Him!
You have enriched my prayer life immensely! May the Good Lord bless you for it.
With the Peace of the Holy Spirit,
Patricia
+ + +
He never stops blowing my mind. Earlier today I thought about posting a reflection on the “Our Father”…& then this & that happened & I forgot all about texting it. Until you just mentioned it. That you for that nudge. It’s after midnight & I go to the early Mass tomorrow morning. So I will continue with your commentary on the Our Father prayer…Thank you Rose
Regina
Debbie Graham
Good morning Rose,
As always. I enjoy receiving your emails and the joy and thoughts that come with reading them.
I love how the Our Father is explained, and would like to post it in a place it will be viewed by everyone when visiting.
Have a nice day today.
Thank you,
Godβs blessings
Debbie
P.S. it was nice meeting you on ZOOM.
Rose Folsom
Debbie,
You are welcome to share this. My preference would be to share the link so they see it directly as you did: https://virtueconnection.com/strolling-through-the-our-father/
If you think they’d benefit by getting my weekly emails, you can suggest they download my free “10 Top Tips for Patience” at the top of the page. Thank you for sharing our love for the Lord!
Rose
Debbie Graham
Thank you Rose, that is what I plan on doing. I feel this is the only way to pray and understand the Our Father.
Thank you again
Debbie
Connie
Thank you for the food for thoughts. You always help me think of ways to increase and improve my reflection on prayers.
Annamae
Thank you
Anne Gordon
Thank you Rose. I will continue to pray the Our Father like you posted until it is truly in my mind.
Nancy
Thank you Rose! Blessings on this beautiful Feast of Corpus Christi!
Sharon Witzell
Thanks Rose and thank you for the chuckle at the end!
Rose Marie Galaviz
Thank you Rose , special today I was 15th went my father died after many years of suffering. Then I got married and had four children after 48 years of been married my husband died after a long years of illness. There has been many trials in my journey of live. Your beautiful way of sharing The our Father prayer is way of strength.
Rosemarie Barron
Thank you Lord for being here for me and my Family I love you Lord Amen praise the Lord ππππππππππ
Tom Roberts
I run the Our Father daily before mass right behind the Beatitudes as part of my spiritual checklist before mass. I particularly dwell on βForgive us our trespasses AS we forgive those who trespass against us.β For me thatβs the centerpiece.
Hilda A. Soares
This is absolutely beautiful ((((Rose))))
Thank you so much! π
Kathy DiCiurcio
Thank you so much Rose. This brings much more meaning of this prayer to me that I had not realized. It will definitely be different for me when I say it now.
Mary Anderson
So beautiful Rose!!! Your a treasure π
Thank you for sending me each Sunday your amazing reflections!
I may not always respond but know that I am enjoying them each Sunday!