June 18, 2020
Thursday for Week Eleven for Ordinary Time
Readings for Today
Listen for English
“Na so una go pray: Our Papa wey dey heaven…” Matthew 6:9
This part come from the My Catholic Worship! book, Chapter Eleven, wey talk about the Lord Im Prayer:
The Lord Im Prayer na truly the summary of the whole Gospel. Dem dey call am “The Lord Im Prayer” because na Jesus Himself give us am to teach us how to pray. For this prayer, we dey ask God for seven things. Inside these seven things, we go find everything wey human heart dey long for and every way wey Scripture take show faith. Everything wey we need to know about life and prayer dey inside this wonderful prayer.
Na Jesus Himself give us this prayer as pattern for every prayer. E good make we dey regularly use our mouth pray the words of the Lord Im Prayer. We dey do this one too for the different sacraments and for liturgical worship. But to just say this prayer no reach. The aim na to take every part of this prayer enter our heart, so that e go become pattern for wetin we personally dey ask God and for how we dey put our whole life for Im hand.
The Foundation of Prayer
The Lord Im Prayer no start with wetin we dey ask for; instead, e start with us acknowledging who we be as children of the Father. This na one important foundation wey go help us pray the Lord Im Prayer well. E also show the basic way wey we must approach every prayer and the whole Christian life. The opening words before the seven things we dey ask for na: “Our Papa wey dey Heaven.” Make we look wetin dey inside these opening words of the Lord Im Prayer.
Boldness as Children of God: For Mass, the priest dey invite the people to pray the Lord Im Prayer as e talk say, “As our Saviour command us, and as divine teaching don form us, we get boldness to talk…” This “boldness” wey we get come from the basic understanding say God na our Papa. Every Christian suppose see the Father as my own Papa. We must see ourselves as God children and approach Am with the confidence wey pikin get. Pikin wey im parent love am no dey fear that parent. Instead, children dey trust well-well say their parents love dem no matter wetin happen. Even when dem sin, children know say their parents still love dem. Na here we must start for every prayer. We must start with the understanding say God love us no matter wetin happen. When we understand God like this, we go get all the confidence wey we need to call on Am.
Abba: To call God “Papa” or, more specifically, “Abba” mean say we dey cry out to God for the closest and most personal way. “Abba” na name wey show deep love for the Father. This one show say God no be only the Almighty or the One wey get all power. God pass all that by far. God na my Papa wey love me, and I be the Father im beloved son or daughter.
“Our” Papa: To call God “our” Papa dey show one completely new relationship wey come through the New Covenant wey the blood of Christ Jesus establish. For this new relationship, we don become God people and He na our God. Na relationship where we give ourselves to each other, so e touch us personally well-well. This new relationship no be any other thing but gift from God wey no be our right to claim. We no get any right of our own to call God our Papa. Na grace and gift.
This grace also show how deeply we dey united with Jesus as the Son of God. We fit call God “Papa” only because we be one with Jesus. As He become human, He unite us with Himself, and now we share one deep bond with Am.
To call God “our” Papa also show the unity wey we share with one another. All the people wey call God their Papa for this close way na brothers and sisters for Christ. So, no be only say we dey deeply connected to one another; we also don receive the ability to worship God together. For here, we leave the way of living as if na only ourselves matter, and we embrace unity as brothers and sisters. As one glorious gift from God, we be members of this one divine family.
Our Papa wey dey heaven, make dem hold Your name holy. Make Your kingdom come. Make Your will happen for earth as e dey happen for heaven. Give us today the food wey we need each day, and forgive us our sins, as we dey forgive people wey sin against us, and no lead us enter temptation, but save us from evil. Jesus, na You I trust.
Novena to di Sacred Heart
Dates for di Novena:June 10-18, 2020
June 19, 2020: Solemnity of di Sacred Heart
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Picture: The Lord Im Prayer by James Tissot
My Catholic Worship!
Summary of prayer and the Sacraments
Paperback & ebook formats:
_-_James_Tissot.jpg){kind=link}