Whenever we see someone who was once fat and has lost a lot of weight, the first question is, “How did you do it?” Or someone who was sickly and is now in the best of health, “How did you do it?” Or someone who suddenly looks so young and blooming, “How did you do it?”
In the Gospel today, the disciples certainly saw how PRAYER has made a huge effect on the life of Jesus. That is why the request, “Teach us how to pray.”
Although Matthew’s version is shorter, there are 5 things we can learn:
- Father. Hence, a personal God. God will always be there for us like a father.
- Kingdom Come. God’s kingdom is not about power. It is not about territory. It is not about armies and weapons. It is the goodness that comes from the HEART. Hence, the first heart that we pray for is our own heart.
- Daily Bread. Why each day and not for a week nor a month? God is present in our daily life. I will never leave you nor abandon you.
- Forgiveness. One of the most difficult, yet the most liberating. Something we little by little don’t see nowadays.
- Temptation. The reality of evil though the ploy is that “it does not exist.”
That is why in this Mass we thank God for this very powerful and efficacious prayer. It is the prayer that came from Jesus himself. It is a prayer that will see us through in life. A life that God himself created.