“Our Father, who art in heaven.”
This opening line to the “Our Father” makes an important statement that we cannot simply pass over. In this prayer we dare to call upon God as our Father. Throughout Sacred Scripture we will not find reference to God as Father until Christ makes this statement. This statement is not only one for Him to make, but is also one for each of us. And so “when you pray, you say, “Our Father.”
This term is an intimate word of relationship. It does not denote distance between individuals, but a relationship. God is not to be a tyrant who is to be feared, but is a loving Father who calls us to enter into communion with Him through Christ. It is through Christ that this door has been opened for us to enter into this relationship.
By calling upon God as Father we come before Him as His children. In the family the father is to take care of the needs of his children. God the Father does this in a more perfect way and thus we are to come before Him and state “thy will be done.” Here we hand everything over to Him and trust that He will provide for each and every one of our needs.
The Our Father is a prayer that is filled with seven distinct petitions. These petitions treat prayer not as magic in order to obtain something, but the realization that we are to enter into relationship with God when it pertains to all of our needs. It is for this reason that our Gospel also warns us concerning the importance of perseverance.
It is easy to be filled with zeal when it pertains to prayer which quickly fades as time passes us by. Prayer should be something that we see value in and thus we must enter into it day by day. Never giving into the temptation to pass over it once or to cut corners on our time. Our lives are busy, but there is always time for prayer if we understand how important that prayer is.
Whenever we pray we enter into relationship with God. As Saint Therese of Lisieux puts it, “For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.” As Saint Augustine simply puts it, “True prayer is nothing but love.”
Therefore, let us come to pray and enter into this relationship with God. The Our Father is the perfect model for prayer and reminder for us concerning who God truly is. Thus “when you pray, you say, “Our Father.”
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