The Seven Petitions of the Our Father

At yesterday's Mass Fr gave a very inspiring homily that had me sitting up and taking notes. I have actually been thinking about part of this for a while since I had heard an episode of "Christ is the Answer" show

The Our Father is a hard prayer, if we are to mean everything that we ask in it then it is really and truly difficult. It is prayed at every Mass, it is prayed as part of the Rosary, it is one of if not the first prayer we learn as kids. It is often the go to when words fail but how often do we pray it by rote. I know there are times when I don't mean half of what I'm asking. What are we asking? Every time we pray the Our Father we make at least 7 petitions

1. Our Father who art in heaven hallowed be Thy name
   - that God's name be Holy
   - that God's name be Blessed
   - that the Lord's name be only used with reverence and honour
  - that His name is not taken in vain or blasphemed

2. Thy kingdom come
  - that Heaven, the kingdom of God may be in our hearts and in our lives
  - that God's kingdom will meet us here on earth
 - that God's kingdom will be welcomed, His Church, His Word

3. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven
  - that He will help us submit our will to His
 - that just as the Angels and Saints cheerfully seek and do God's will in heaven so too will we here on earth

4. Give us this day our daily bread
 -that God will provide for us
 -that we will trust God to provide for us
 -that He will provide all that we need, not just physical but spiritual as well

5. And forgive us our trespasses......as we forgive those who trespass against us
 -that God will forgive us our sins
 -but only in so much as we forgive those who have sinned against us (that little fine print)

6. Lead us not into temptation
-to remove us from temptation
-away from the dangers of sin
-give us the graces we need to fight these temptations

7. But deliver us from evil
 - save us from what is dark in our lives
 - preserve us from evil and sin

The Our Father aka The Lord's Prayer is the prayer that Jesus taught His disciples, the prayer He taught to us. It's the prayer He left us because He loved us and knew we are capable and strong enough and brave enough to genuinely pray and mean every word. The Our Father is a simple prayer, it is a beautiful prayer and it is a gift.

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