The Our Father, the prayer that Jesus Himself has taught us, in order that we might pray to His Father and our Father, has been called by many “a summary of the entire Gospel.” This year, as we read this Sunday’s Gospel within the context of the Year of Mercy, it seems appropriate that we might even call the Our Father a summary of God’s mercy towards all of us.

All of this Sunday’s readings speak to us of the kind of intimate prayer life that God invites all of us to have with Him. In the first reading from the book of Genesis, we hear how Abraham speaks to God as a friend, discussing with God how He should conduct Himself in order to be just. Abraham does not even have a name by which He should address God, and yet we see how openly God shares His plans with Him and allows Him to offer his opinion. God desires that all of us speak to Him honestly and sincerely about our difficulties and concerns. The first reading shows us that we do not need to speak to God in formal and set ways. We can bring to Him whatever is on our hearts. The Psalm also makes this clear by the simple statement: “Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.” We can turn to the Lord whenever we wish, He will always be there. Continue reading →