Our Father who art in heaven (CCC2779-2793)
Posted on November 15th 2009 in The catechism explained
Jesus gave the ‘Our Father’ in answer to His disciples’ question on how to pray. The Our Father remains the key pattern for all Christian prayer. The earliest liturgical traditions found in the late first century include the well-known addition, ‘for yours is the kingdom, the power and glory for ever’. This earliest liturgical usage is continued in the Anglican liturgy, whilst the Catholic liturgy places this doxology in a slightly different place.
The Our Father, since it describes the work of the Son in relation to the Father, sets the context for the correct ordering of our desires. The disciples should model themselves on Jesus Christ, the implied instrument of the first three petitions. The gift of the Holy Spirit allows the Christian to pray this prayer as Christ, from the inside as an adopted son and daughter. This prayer to the Father thus involves the Son and Holy Spirit, and so becomes a work of the Trinity.
This prayer lies at the heart of all the Church’s liturgies. During the earliest days of the Church this prayer was recited three times a day, replacing the then customary Jewish prayers of blessing. This tradition continues in its recitation at Morning and Evening Prayer. The Our Father is recited after the rite of Baptism in recognition of the changed status of the newly baptised. It is recited between the Eucharistic prayer and before the reception of Communion at Mass. It sums up the petitions answered in calling down the Holy Spirit by the priest upon the bread and wine, and in the prayers after the consecration. The prayer anticipates the banquet of the kingdom, of which every Mass is a foretaste.
The introduction to the Our Father at Mass contains the admonition, ‘we dare to say’ reminding the faithful that no-one has a right to call God Father, and so enter into a relationship with him unless invited by Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. Only Jesus Christ is able to bring us into God’s presence. Moses had to take his shoes off, and stand back when encountering God in the burning bush. The Christian enters this relationship in simplicity of heart, and in the certainty of being loved, and so doing may intone this prayer.