Wednesday, October 07, 2020 - 27th week of Ordinary Time - Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 11, 1-4 - You have received a Spirit who makes you sons; in him we cry "Abba", Father.

We heard that Jesus prayed alone and in silence. Undoubtedly we can affirm that praying is necessary. This is what we do by going to church together on Sundays and/or every day for some, but it is important to have a time of personal prayer. This can be done wherever we are; on the bus, in the office, on the train... it may be done discreetly. This, however, marked the disciples of Jesus. The example we set always ends up attracting others, not only in prayer, but also in other areas. For example, someone who takes care not to litter the street; someone who prays before eating in restaurants or fast food outlets - this encourages people to do the same.

Then we will enter into the content of the Lord's Prayer, the prayer we recite every day. When you pray, says Jesus, say: "Father, hallowed be thy name". This must be well explained so that there is no misunderstanding: it is not up to us humans to sanctify the Father's name in this prayer. In fact, God is the source of holiness. He alone is both sanctifier and saint. Therefore, the expression "hallowed be thy name" in this prayer should not be taken literally (CCC 2807). In simple terms, to say this prayer means to acknowledge that the name of the Lord is holy and expresses the desire to be holy. Pope Francis also explains its meaning: "In this invocation we feel all the admiration of Jesus for the beauty and greatness of his Father, and the desire that all recognise and love him for what he really is". He said this during his general audience on 27 February 2019. This means that "the holiness of God must be reflected in our lives... God is holy, but if our lives are not holy, there is great inconsistency!".

Dear Christians, the explanation of this prayer can still be continued at the appropriate time. But for this sharing, we thank God for what has been done.