Gospel: Matthew 6:7-15
When you pray, do not use a lot of words, as the pagans do; for they believe that, the more they say, the more chance they have of being heard. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need, even before you ask him.This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, holy be your name, your kingdom, come, your will, be done on earth, as in heaven. Give us today, our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts, as we forgive those who are in debt to us. Do not bring us to the test, but deliver us from the evil one. If you forgive others their wrongdoings, your Father in heaven
will also forgive yours. If you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive you.
Reflection
Prayer involves profound communion with God.
“Your Father knows what you need…” From this awareness arises the variety of Christian prayer revealed to us by Jesus. As we know, prayer does not merely consist of repeating formulas
or performing rites and ceremonies; instead, it involves a profound communion with a God we recognize as a loving Father to whom we can confidently entrust our needs. This understanding
shapes our relationship with the God of Jesus, giving prayer a new dimension.
However, even as Christians, our prayers may sometimes be “pagan”: we may attempt to convince God of the validity of our requests, the necessity for Him to fulfill what we ask, and the urgency of our petitions. Indeed, we should pray and pray extensively. But our prayers shouldn’t be confined to requests; we must also express gratitude, offer praise, and entrust ourselves to Him, just as we
would to someone we love. Moreover, our requests are always directed to a Father who knows what we need even before we ask Him, trusting that we will receive what is necessary, even if it
is not precisely what we requested. Within this framework, prayer becomes genuinely Christian, allowing us to recite the Our Father with a smile.
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