The First Tuesday of Lent

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.

The Our Father was handed down to us by Jesus and it is one of the central prayers of our faith. However, it also gives us a blueprint of how to live our lives. We should give reverence to God by recognizing Him as our Heavenly Father. We also should ask Him to bring about His Kingdom and to do His Will in our lives. So too, we ought to live in such a way as to bring about His Will on earth. Besides these things, we must hunger for the daily bread of life that God offers us through prayer and especially the sacrament of the Eucharist. We also need to ask for forgiveness for our failings while forgiving the failings of others. Last but not least, we should pray to be protected from the temptations of the world and evils that seek to lure us away from God. If we do these things, we will be able to lead Christ-like lives filled with faith in the Father, hope in His Providence, and love for God and His children.

Do we pray the Our Father every day? Do we take each line and meditate upon its deeper meaning? How can we put its precepts into practice?

O Lord, you are our Father, our Bread, and our Deliverer.

Amen.