# Reflections on the Our Father and a countdown to Rome
*2016-08-04*

> Bill Young shares his excitement for his upcoming pilgrimage to Rome for the canonization of Mother Teresa and leads a deep meditation on the seven requests of the Our Father.

## A Pilgrimage to Rome

Today is August 5th, the feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome, one of the four major basilicas. I am currently in a countdown to Rome; my wife and I are planning a pilgrimage there to see Mother Teresa canonized as a saint. This will be my first time in Rome and my first time in Europe, so I am very excited to visit these holy places.

## The Structure of the Lord's Prayer

In honor of this journey, we are doing a meditation on the Our Father. The prayer is structured with seven requests. The first three concern the glory of the Father: the sanctification of His name, the coming of His kingdom, and the accomplishment of His divine will. The remaining four requests present our own desires, focusing on how our lives can be nourished and how we can be healed from sin. These are closely related to the battle for the victory of good over evil.

## Seeking God's Kingdom and Will

When we pray 'Hallowed be thy name,' we enter into God's design for humanity, asking that His name be sanctified in every nation and person. 'Thy kingdom come' is a plea for the return of Christ and the final coming of the kingdom of God, but also for the growth of that kingdom in our daily lives. In praying 'Thy will be done,' we beseech the Father to unite our will to that of His Son so that His plan of salvation for the world may be realized.

## Nourishment, Mercy, and Protection

The request for 'our daily bread' refers to the earthly nourishment necessary to sustain us, but it also signifies the Bread of Life—the Word of God and the Body of Christ—which anticipates the banquet of the kingdom through the Eucharist. When we ask God to 'forgive us our trespasses,' we implore His mercy, recognizing that if we do not forgive our enemies, these words cannot truly reach our hearts. Finally, we ask to be led away from temptation and delivered from evil, seeking the spirit of discernment, fortitude, and the victory Christ has already achieved over Satan.

## A Personal Meditation

Reflecting on the words 'Our Father,' we realize that He gives Himself to us completely. Unlike earthly fathers who may get angry, our Heavenly Father offers only love. We pray that our own small kingdoms may collapse so that His kingdom alone may be the true one. We ask for the grace to obey Him as the angels do and for the strength to forgive others in the same measure that we wish to be forgiven. With the final 'Amen,' we express our fiat—our 'so be it'—to all seven requests.

*By deeply reflecting on each petition of the Our Father, we align our will with God's and prepare our hearts for His kingdom.*