"Our Father, who art in Heaven"-Part One...a look at my weak humanity

Today's Readings: Isaiah 55:10-11; Psalm 34:4-7, 16-19; Matthew 6:7-15

The Our Father? Really?

My first thought when I saw that was the Gospel: 'can I take today off of my blog?' 

To explain a little:

It is a very beautiful but difficult prayer. Jesus gives it to us when asked how to pray. Every time I pray that prayer I just hope to be able to live out what I'm praying. Jesus had told us that we must trust that God listens to our prayers and answers them in the ways we need.

I become a little afraid of my fallen weakness to ignore these petitions.  But, I seem to be the most hesitant to say the following 2: “Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven” and “Give us this day our daily bread.”  I know that prayer is a commitment, a way of building my relationship with God.  And, so I have to be certain that when I pray, I pray from the heart and I choose to live out my prayer.

Well, on days like today when I have a huge headache, more pain than I want, fear of what the future holds, and loneliness (just to name a few things going on)...I sort of feel like I'd prefer to have someone else's daily bread instead of my own :)

In all honesty, I do want my daily bread (what I need to succeed in living out the love of God and building the kingdom)...but it is tough. 

When we pray, we must act as if it has been answered, because it has been. This means that we MUST believe that God gives us our daily bread...nothing more, nothing less. When you think about it, how amazing is that...you are given the things each day that you need!

Which means all of this stuff for me today is going to help me to live as a child of God the best! Seriously, why can't I get that through my thick skull? Now, I don't believe it follows that that means God wants me to be in pain (and he doesn't desire that for anyone). But, he knows that good can come from it...more good than the pain that is happening. He knows the pain can form me into a new person...one that believes and looks to Him for help and support; and that the pain we offer to Him joins to the saving powers of his suffering.

Every day I try to ask God to help me to be a more happy and complete Christian, and that I can help the most people possible...but instead of living as if it has been answered, sometimes I allow myself to focus on the pain and complain more than work for success.

In asking God to give us our daily bread, we are forming our soul to see more clearly the daily task of loving God and to practice putting complete trust in His fatherly care and protection.

Also, we ask for his will to be done. This is another thing I seem to struggle with some days. His knowledge is far beyond our knowledge, and so his will may not seem to make sense. But, when you think about which one you prefer...his will wins every time. Compare it to anything: I don't know anyone that would choose something imperfect, when they can have the perfect. The same is true with accepting God's will. It should not be about understanding it, but accepting it. I think this is where it gets tricky for me. It isn't that I don't trust God's will...but I like to understand things. I ask tons of questions all the time. I want to know why things happen, when things are going to happen, and how I can do things. But, my tiny mind won't be able to fully understand the will of God. And so I get frustrated and begin to live out my imperfect will. So this prayer gives us a chance to remind ourselves that we need and can accept God's will.

Like I said, this prayer is difficult. I know that I am currently a sinner, but I am striving to become a saint. And so each time I pray this prayer...I strive to accept all that I am given. I TRULY believe God is not going to give me anything I can't get through with his help...and so I feel like I'm more praying that I let God help me to accept his will and to be grateful for my daily bread. And in accepting what I'm supposed to do each day, I can become an instrument in helping God give other people their daily needs.

 I just mentioned 2 of the petitions. There are 7 of them. Because this is such a beautiful prayer, I didn’t want to only dwell on my struggles to live out this prayer (they don’t really even mean anything any way). :)  I really love this prayer.  And, I love that in my weakness I can approach my Father every moment and ask for His help to live out my true dignity!  

I am doing a 2^nd post today.  It is looking at this prayer in pieces from the Catechism of the Catholic Church.  I hope you find more insight and direction from it.