“Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one.” Matthew 6:9-13
Here is an easy way to meditate on the Our Father prayer, simply by saying it very slowly, very meditatively. We might say that the Our Father prayer contains an infinite amount of wisdom for leading the spiritual life – seeing that it comes from the very lips of Jesus Christ, the WORD made flesh. As the Catechism says, “The Lord’s Prayer is truly the summary of the whole Gospel” (CCC 2761).
There is no requirement here of having to be a meditation guru! Meditation in the Christian sense is a deeper application of our understanding – with the help of grace – to the considerations and petitions present in the Our Father prayer. In other words it is a deeper reflection on the profound meaning of the prayer.
The method of meditation recommended here comes from Saint Teresa of Avila who simply urges us to say the Our Father prayer very slowly. As we say the prayer slowly we have time to reflect on its profound meaning and application to our lives. I remember reading about a saint who could never get past the first line of the Our Father: as soon as she said, “Our Father,” she got caught up in the loving realization that God is our Father!
St. Ignatius suggested to those who were searching to grow in prayer to pray the Our Father very slowly and silently in harmony with the pattern of deep, relaxed breathing. Pray only one word with each slow breath, letting the mind, heart and imagination dwell on that single word.
St. Ignatius also suggested a second method: become relaxed and dwell on the first word of the Our Father, for as long as it is meaningful. Then, move on to the second word.
A young novice once asked Teresa of Avila, “Mother, what shall I do to become a contemplative?’ Without missing a beat, Teresa responded, ‘Say the Our Father – but take an hour to say it.”
Today, start by stopping. Slow down before you run to grab that coffee or start the craziness that is your day. Sit in that quiet room recommended by the Lord and say the Lord’s Prayer…..slowly. Thoughtfully and contemplatively. Meditate on the meaning of each word and then on sets of words then on lines and petitions.
“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…”
For thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory…”
“Forever and ever….”
Amen!
WOW. This sounds like a wonderful way to meditate. I’m going to try this tomorrow during adoration. Blessing’s to everyone 🙏