Reflection On The Our Father Prayer
By Sister Marianne Ferguson
When we see the word “OUR” in this prayer, it brings to mind the thought of ownership. God belongs to us, so the opposite must be true… we belong to God. God has called us into his own and our relationship is mutual. If we believe the words of our prayer, God will love us no matter what we do, like a parent with a child; however, we are in an adult relationship where we can share our fears, joys, disappointments, frustrations, and pain with him. God has become the one we can turn to anytime, not only at the time and convenience of the other person.
Sometimes it is a challenge to remember that the word “OUR” is plural —that God is in this intimate relationship with everyone. God’s love is inclusive in that everyone is part of his family. Sometimes we are challenged to love everyone as God does, especially when they annoy us, get in our way, or do not live up to our standards. Yet if we believe the words of our prayer, we will try to be as inclusive as God our father is toward all of his creation. As we say this prayer, let us examine our own consciences to see how we can more closely imitate the family relations that God engages in toward his beloved —all of us.
Let us pray:
That we may consider the words more closely when we say the Our Father
That we may appreciate our role as His Beloved in our relationship with God
That we may appreciate more fully the relationship of others with God
That we may incorporate into our actions the love that God has for us all
