Our Lord taught us the Our Father (the Lord’s prayer) as a guide to deeper prayer.
The Lord’s Prayer
The Lord’s Prayer: Matthew 6:9-13 (NABRE)
9 “This is how you are to pray:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread;
12 and forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors;
13 and do not subject us to the final test,
but deliver us from the evil one.
This powerful prayer covers many aspects, such as leading us to understand God’s holiness. His kingdom will have no end. God’s will will be done on earth and heaven. We thank Him for our daily bread. We ask forgiveness for our sins and those who have sinned against us. Above all it keeps us from sin and evil.
Pater Noster Catholic Church
Pater Noster Catholic Church is located on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. Within this holy site is a cave where Christians believed that Jesus taught the Lord’s Prayer. This church is within walking distance from the Seven Arches Hotel where we stayed on our missionary journeys.
We prayed in the cave at Pater Noster and left some of our prayer petitions for the Carmelite nuns to collect and pray over. Unlike other holy sites, there is a small fee to enter this hallowed ground. This Byzantine church’s walls are covered with plaques made of tile framed in flowers. On these plaques are written the Lord’s Prayer in 140 languages. I can never remember where the English version of the prayers is located, but I always found it.
Bethany
The Mount of Olives is a few miles from Bethany, where Jesus must have made His way on foot to visit His friends Mary, Martha and Lazarus. Because Bethany is located in a Palestinian section of Jerusalem, only a Palestinian Arab guide could drive us to visit the site of the Church of Saint Lazarus and Lazarus’ tomb. The church is surrounded by a Palestinian neighborhood and directly across the tomb is a home with a mustard tree. The owners of the home wait for us to finish visiting the tomb before approaching us to sell mustard seeds. This is the only place that I know of where you can purchase these biblical seeds. (Matthew 13:31-33)
We have on several occasions celebrated Mass with a wonderful Franciscan priest from Africa. On our last visit the church was preparing for the Easter Vigil. I asked the kind priest how many parishioners he had. His response was that there were only five Catholic families that are registered and attend Mass. Palestinian Christians are in the middle of all the conflict between Hamas and Israel. The war affects everyone in the Holy Land.
The grounds of the church are meticulously kept, but as soon as you leave the area of the church, the city looks abandoned and neglected. And that was before the current war.
Confirmation
Volunteering as a confirmation teacher at my parish has brought many things to light. For instance, I discovered through an ice breaker game that five of my students did not know the words to the Lord’s Prayer. Despite the fact that they are all baptized, and have completed the Sacrament of First Holy Communion, they did not know the prayer. So instead of blaming anyone, I will make sure that these students memorize The Lord’s Prayer.
First Holy Communion
I also teach a group of students preparing for the Sacrament of First Holy Communion. The ages of my students in this class vary; there are several fourth graders and also a few seventh graders. When the class started last September, many of these students did not know the Lord’s Prayer as well. For this reason I gave them copies of the Our Father, along with the Hail Mary, and instructed them to memorize the prayers. To illustrate the importance of these prayers, each week a different student opens and closes our sessions with both prayers.
The Bible
This is my favorite book. I will always refer to the holy wisdom of God’s inspired words when teaching my students. You can never go wrong with Scripture because it always leads us to do the right thing.
How I Pray
I pray at different levels. I begin with an opening prayer of praise and thanksgiving. These prayers may range from a simple petition to protect my loved ones to bombarding the heavens for something that’s troubling my heart. To get clarity from God, I go to Adoration. This is my happy place; it’s where God meets me. Any decision big or small I take to the Father. Of course I make wrong decisions that could lead to costly mistakes, but it’s usually because I did not pray beforehand.
An Example of How I Pray
I praise You and Honor You, Lord. You know the desire of my heart is to (special intention), but until I hear from You I will not move forward. Father, give me a sign to help me make this decision. If You open the door, please provide the means for this undertaking. Dear Jesus, You know of my impatient character; please give me special graces to wait for Your reply. Amen.
Eucharistic Adoration
Being before the Blessed Sacrament (the body of Christ) is my highest level of prayer. My mind is at ease, so all my thoughts are yielded to the Father. On my last visit I prayed a rosary and prayers from a small pamphlet I carry in my wallet. These prayers cover most of mine and others’ needs. In addition to these prayers I ask God’s will to be done in my life.
Although the drive is 20 minutes away from my home, nothing is more fulfilling than the emotional charge I receive when leaving Adoration because part of Him is with me. You do not need to be Catholic to pray at an Adoration Chapel. St. Martin de Porres in Yorba Linda, California, has perpetual Adoration. During Lent the Blessed Sacrament is exposed in the sanctuary of the church during the day.
My Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, I pray for all students who do not know You. Lord, surround them with angels, both human and supernatural. May they hear Your still, small voice and answer the call to serve You. Amen.
