Welcome!
Christian Prayer
Session 2: The Lord’s Prayer—
“Our Father”
How can the Lord's Prayer transform
my daily living of the Gospel?
Session Schedule
• Opening Prayer
• Paired Activity
• Talk #1: The Summary of the
Whole Gospel: “Our Father”
• Standing Activity
• Talk #2: The Seven Petitions
• Small Group Activity
• Closing Prayer
Opening Prayer: Taize (“Ubi Caritas”)
Ubi caritas et amor; Ubi caritas, Deus ibi est
(“Where charity and love are… Where charity is, there God is”)
Paired Activity:
Pair, Share, Compare
• Brainstorm and write down
characteristics of a loving father
• Discuss how God has demonstrated
these characteristics either in your
own life, or throughout salvation
history
• Consider why it was so important for
Jesus to reveal the Father--and to
give us his Father as our Father
Talk # 1: The Summary of the Gospel: “Our
Father, who art in heaven…”
• “Run through all the words
of holy prayers [in Scripture],
and I do not think you will find
anything in them that is not
contained in the Lord’s
Prayer” (St. Augustine).
• The “Our Father” is at the
heart of every individual and
communal prayer.
“Our Father”
• Through Baptism, we are given
the grace of an adopted, “filial,”
relationship with the Father
• The Old Testament understands
God’s relationship of providential
care for Israel
•Jesus fully reveals the truth which
is at the center of his life: “Abba”
• We are a communion of persons
with each other because we have
been baptized into a Communion
of Persons, the Holy Trinity
“Who Art in Heaven”
• Heaven is the goal toward which
we are heading and to which,
already, we belong (CCC, n. 2802)
• Heaven is not “somewhere” but
is “Someone”
• “Heaven” does not designate a
place, but indicates God’s
presence, which is not bound by
space and time (YOUCAT, n. 518)
• Therese of Lisieux on Spiritual
Childhood & “The Little Way”
Standing Activity:
“Mind Mapping” the Petitions
• Which Petition are you
most drawn to, and why?
1. Hallowed be thy name
• In what ways do you find it
comforting or challenging
or inspiring?
3. Thy will be done
2. Thy kingdom come
4. Give us our daily bread
5. Forgive us our trespasses
6. Lead us not into temptation
7. Deliver us from evil
Standing Activity:
“Mind Mapping” the Petitions
• Which Petition are you most
drawn to, and why?
• In what ways do you find it
comforting or challenging or
inspiring?
Work with others to
create a “mind map” for
your personal reflections
on this petition…
Talk #2: The Seven Petitions
“Hallowed be thy name”
“To be made holy”- God is the
source of his own holiness; we
give witness to his perfection
and glory
“Thy kingdom come”
a Kingdom of love, justice, and
mercy, where sins are forgiven,
the sick are made whole,
enemies are reconciled, captives
are freed, and the needs of the
poor are met
“Thy will be done on earth
as it is in Heaven”
desiring to unite our will to
that of Jesus, so as to fulfill the
plan of salvation in the world
“Give us this day our daily bread”
Earthly nourishment is necessary to
everyone for subsistence, as is the
Bread of Life--the Word of God
and the Body of Christ
“And forgive us our trespasses, as we
forgive those who trespass against us”
The best way to obtain mercy is to be
merciful; Jesus stressed mercy and
forgiveness in numerous ways
…Petitions of the Lord’s Prayer
“And lead us not into
temptation”
Keep us alert to the dangers
of sin, and give us the grace
to resist temptation
(preventative medicine)
Armor of God
“But deliver us from evil”
We ask God to deliver us
from the Evil One, who wants
to prevent our salvation
“Let us open ourselves in sincere trust
to the Risen Christ, so that his victory
over evil and death may also triumph
in each one of us.” - Pope Benedict XVI
The “Doxology” & Great “Amen”
• “For the kingdom, the
power and the glory are
yours, now and forever”
• Amen = “So be it”
...We joyfully ratify the
words that Jesus has
taught us & conform
our will to God’s will
Small Group Activity: Promoting Petitions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Hallowed be thy name
Thy kingdom come
Thy will be done
Give us our daily bread
Forgive us our
trespasses
6. Lead us not into
temptation
7. Deliver us from evil
Create a "billboard" which
would promote the
importance of this petition
Small Group Activity: Promoting Petitions
• How could they help explain its
meaning to people of our time?
• What associations come to mind
when you consider this petition?
• Does it make you think of a
particular person, event, or
Scripture passage?…
• How could you use symbols to
help represent its message?
Create a "billboard" which
would promote the
importance of this petition
How can the Lord's Prayer
transform my daily living of the Gospel?
Follow-up Reflection and Resources
1) Session Evaluation & Feedback
2) Recommended follow-up:
US/CCA, Chapters 36:
“Jesus Taught us to Pray”
Catholicism, Episode IX:
“The Fire of His Love: Prayer and the
Life of the Spirit”
3) For Catechists & Catholic School Teachers:
“Record of Formation,” including:
required reflection & documentation
Closing Prayer: Mediation on the “Our Father”
Our Father & our mission…
Our Father, who art in Heaven
Lord, as your sons and daughters,
draw us to you and help us keep our
eyes fixed on Heaven our true
home…
Hallowed by thy name
You are holy, God. May we always
reverence your name and make us
holy, as you are holy…
“Our Father”
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done,
on earth as it is in Heaven
We struggle to find purpose and
meaning in the world. Unite our wills
with yours so that we may love one
another as you have loved us to better
fulfill your will for our lives…
Give us this day our daily bread
Lord, we trust in you. Give us what we
need both physically and spiritually.
Give us the courage to meet the needs
of those less fortunate…
“Our Father”
And forgive us our trespasses, as we
forgive those who trespass against
us
Come Holy Spirit that through your
intercession we may have the
necessary grace to forgive others so
that we may also be forgiven…
And lead us not into temptation
Lord, you do not let us be tempted
beyond our strength. Give us the gift of
discernment that we may avoid those
situations that will tempt us to sin....
But deliver us from evil
Deliver our world from the hands of the
evil one. We realize this will only be done
when your Son comes again. We wait in
hope for that day….
AMEN!
“Our Father”