Our Father

The Lord's Prayer

• Pater Noster
• so-named as it was "taught and given to us by the Lord Jesus" (CCC 2765)

Also called the Our Father prayer

• oratio Dominica

The Lord's Prayer

Modern form

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. 
Amen

Scriptural forms

Matthew 6:9-15

Luke 11:2-4

“This is how you are to pray: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 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 forgive our debtors; and do not subject us to the final test, but deliver us from the evil one.' 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."

He said to them, “When you pray, say: 'Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test.'"

The Lord's instructions on how to pray

The Lord Jesus Christ gave us the prayer to be spoken thoughtfully and purposefully. In the Sermon on the Mount, he taught:

“When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.

But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. 

And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. 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.[https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/6:5 Mt 6:5-8])

"Summary of the Whole Gospel"

• Tertullian wrote, "The Lord's Prayer is truly the summary of the whole gospel" (per CCC 2774)
• Saint Augustine wrote that,

Run through all the words of the holy prayers [in Scripture], and I do not think that you will find anything in them that is not contained and included in the Lord's Prayer. (per [https://www.usccb.org/sites/default/files/flipbooks/catechism/664/ CCC 2762])

• Saint Thomas Aquinas called it the "most perfect of prayers" (per CCC 2774)

Notes and the "Seven Petitions"

Abba

The Seven Petitions

• the Lord's Prayer contains seven "Petitions" for seven blessings (CCC 2803)
• the first three Petitions carry us toward God
  • thy name, they kingdom, they will
  • it is about God, not us
  • they are to strengthen our faith
• the

The Lord’s Prayer	The Seven Petitions	Scriptural Sources (OT / NT)	Notes
Our Father,		·       Isa 63 the “our father” of the Old Testament ·       Jeramiah 3:16-19, 31-79 ·       Tobit 13:1-6	•       we dare to call God “our Father” •       as Jesus called the Father, “Abba” •       we are also invoking the New Covenant in Jesus Christ and communion with the Holy Trinity
who art in Heaven,			•       Heaven = above all creation
hallowed be Thy name.	Petition no. 1	·       occurs only once in OT, Eze 36 22-38:  the new Exodus shall “Hallow your name”	acknowledgement of God’s all-encompassing holiness "Per the CCC 2807: The term "to hallow" is to be understood here not primarily in its causative sense (only God hallows, makes holy), but above all in an evaluative sense: to recognize as holy, to treat in a holy way. i.e., "causative sense", as in only God can make holy "evaluative sense," as in we recognize God's complete holiness
Thy kingdom come,	Petition no. 2	·       occurs only once in OT, Micah 4:1-8	•       “kingdom come” = ages before, now and to come •       recognizes God’s reign over all things and time •       prayer that we carry out the Father’s will •       and to focus on the Father and not ourselves
Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.	Petition no. 3
Give us this day, our daily bread,	Petition no. 4	·       Exodus ·       Feeding the 4 or 5,000	•       the Greek word used for “bread” implies “super” or “above,” thus “supernatural” bread, as in Manna •       the Manna had to be collected each morning, so it was daily •       note: the prayer is spoke just before the consecration of the Eucharist, the Body of Christ
and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us,	Petition no. 5	·       refers to the Jubilee, which forgave debts, esp. seized land ·       Mt 5:5 (“blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land”) = relates to having land returned from forgiveness of debts	•       Recognizes our sins •       “I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.” (Jn 13:34) •       “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (Mt. 5:7) •       “Be merciful, just as [also] your Father is merciful. (Lk 6:36)
and lead us not into temptation,	Petition no. 6		•       recognizes our sinful nature (concupiscence) •       prayer to avoid the “occasion of sin”
but deliver us from evil	Petition no. 7		•       protect us from Satan, the “Evil one”

Doxology

also called the "minor doxology"

• doxology = "words of praise"
• the Didache (a collection of early Church teachings, c. AD 50-120) taught the Lord's Prayer ending with the minor doxology:

"for Thine is the power and the glory for ever" ([https://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/didache-roberts.html Didache, Ch. 8])

See

• Saint Augustine of Hippo's writing on the Lord's Prayer
  • https://www.crossroadsinitiative.com/media/articles/ourfatheronthelordsprayer/