Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Jesus teaches to pray the Our Father


February 16, 2016

Tuesday of the First Week of Lent

Reading 1

10Thus says the LORD: Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down
And do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, Giving seed to the one who sows and bread to the one who eats, 11So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; It shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it.

Responsorial Psalm

R. (18b)From all their distress God rescues the just.

4Glorify the LORD with me, let us together extol His name. 5I sought the LORD, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears.

R. From all their distress God rescues the just.

6Look to Him that you may be radiant with joy, and your faces may not blush with shame. 7When the poor one called out, the LORD heard, and from all his distress He saved him.

R. From all their distress God rescues the just.

16The LORD has eyes for the just, and ears for their cry. 17The LORD confronts the evildoers, to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.

R. From all their distress God rescues the just.

18When the just cry out, the LORD hears them, and from all their distress He rescues them. 19The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.

R. From all their distress God rescues the just.

Verse Before The Gospel Matthew 4:4b

One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.

Gospel

7Jesus said to His disciples: “In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words.[1]8Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

9“This is how you are to pray: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name,[2][3] 10thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.[4]
11Give us this day our daily bread;[5] 12and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us;[6] 13and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.[7] 14“If you forgive men their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you.[8]15But if you do not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”[9] 


Notes on Readings:

[1] Matthew 6:7 - The example of what Christian prayer should be like contrasts it now not with the prayer of the hypocrites but with that of the pagans. Their babbling probably means their reciting a long list of divine names, hoping that one of them will force a response from the deity.

[2] Matthew 6:9-13 - Matthew's form of the "Our Father" follows the liturgical tradition of his church. Luke's less developed form also represents the liturgical tradition known to him, but it is probably closer than Matthew's to the original words of Jesus.

[3] Matthew 6:9 - Our Father in heaven: this invocation is found in many rabbinic prayers of the post-New Testament period. Hallowed be your name: though the "hallowing" of the divine name could be understood as reverence done to God by human praise and by obedience to His will, this is more probably a petition that God hallow his own name, that he manifest His glory by an act of power (compare with Ezekiel 36;23), in this case, by the establishment of His kingdom in its fullness.

[4] Matthew 6:10 - Your kingdom come: this petition sets the tone of the prayer, and inclines the balance toward divine rather than human action in the petitions that immediately precede and follow it. Your will be done, on earth as in heaven: a petition that the divine purpose to establish the kingdom, a purpose present now in heaven, be executed on earth.

[5] Matthew 6:11 - Give us today our daily bread: the rare Greek word epiousios, here daily, occurs in the New Testament only here and in Luke 11:3. A single occurrence of the word outside of these texts and of literature dependent on them has been claimed, but the claim is highly doubtful. The word may mean daily or "future" (other meanings have also been proposed). The latter would conform better to the eschatological tone of the whole prayer. So understood, the petition would be for a speedy coming of the kingdom (today), which is often portrayed in both the Old Testament and the New under the image of a feast (Isaiah 25:6; Matthew 8:11; 22:1-10; Luke 13:29; 14:15-24) .

[6] Matthew 6:12 - Forgive us our debts: the word debts is used metaphorically of sins, "debts" owed to God (see Luke 11:4). The request is probably for forgiveness at the final judgment.

[7] Matthew 6:13 - Jewish apocalyptic writings speak of a period of severe trial before the end of the age, sometimes called the "messianic woes." This petition asks that the disciples be spared that final test.

[8] Matthew 6:14-15 - These verses reflect a set pattern called "Principles of Holy Law." Human action now will be met by a corresponding action of God at the final judgment.

[9] Matthew 6:7-15 - Matthew inserts into his basic traditional material an expansion of the material on prayer that includes the model prayer, the "Our Father." That prayer is found in Luke 11:2-4 in a different context and in a different form. 

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Dear Humanity,

I personally encourage everyone to emulate JESUS' values on LOVE, FAITH, HOPE
and CHARITY, as the humanity has been a failure; which resulted to the more than two (2) years of pandemic and its after-effects on economy, not only here in the Philippines but worldwide.

And the saddest part of it, is that, it affected the POOREST of the POOR to even extremely be more poorer, in exchange of the affluent to be more richer.

Thank you and may GOD bless you and the whole family to have an enjoyed life's journey at home, Church, schools/universities, corporate commitments, public and places of interest.