Catholic

The Lord’s Prayer – Part Three

The Lord’s Prayer – Part Three AUDIO

“And forgive us the wrong we have done, as we forgive those who have wronged us (New American Bible).”  “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors (New Revised Standard Version).”  “And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us (Original Revised Standard Version).”

Each translation seems to give us a view from a slightly different angle.  The first one focuses on the sins we’ve committed against God, and the sins others have committed against us.  Violations of God’s commandments. The second one emphasizes the repentance we owe to God, and the repentance owed to us by others.  A kind of spiritual accounting. The third one highlights the boundaries we have crossed in our offenses against God, and the boundaries others have crossed in offending us. Entering places where we don’t belong.

Catholic

The Lord’s Prayer – Part Two

The Lord’s Prayer – Part Two AUDIO

Nonetheless Jesus did say more, knowing that we are children with such limited understanding, and that few have the depth of faith of a Teresa.

We begin by addressing God as “Our Father”; not My Father.  From the origin of humanity, God intended that we be a people – not a collection of individual persons (Genesis 2:18).  God is the Father of the entire human race.  “When we cry, Abba, Father, it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God (Rom. 8:15).”  He means us to know him intimately.  What could be more intimate than calling him Father, or more accurately, Daddy, for that is what the Hebrew word Abba means. “And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba, Father’ (Gal. 4:6).”  And so we dare to cry out to him as a little child, Daddy!

Verified by MonsterInsights