The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to address God as Father and surrender to His love, mercy, and compassion in our daily lives.
The reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah is an Invitation to Grace.
* [55:10–11] The efficacy of the word of God recalls 40:5, 8. (Isaiah, THE BOOK OF ISAIAH, n.d.)
Psalm 34 is praise for Deliverance from Trouble.
* [Psalm 34] A thanksgiving in acrostic form, each line beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. In this Psalm one letter is missing and two are in reverse order. The psalmist, fresh from the experience of being rescued (Ps 34:5, 7), can teach the “poor,” those who are defenseless, to trust in God alone (Ps 34:4, 12). God will make them powerful (Ps 34:5–11) and give them protection (Ps 34:12–22). (Psalms, PSALM 34, n.d.)
The Gospel of Matthew presents the Lord’s Prayer.
* [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.
* [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, i.e., that he manifest his glory by an act of power (cf. Ez 36:23), in this case, by the establishment of his kingdom in its fullness.
* [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.
* [6:11] Give us today our daily bread: the rare Greek word epiousios, here daily, occurs in the New Testament only here and in Lk 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 (Is 25:6; Mt 8:11; 22:1–10; Lk 13:29; 14:15–24).
* [6:12] Forgive us our debts: the word debts is used metaphorically of sins, “debts” owed to God (see Lk 11:4). The request is probably for forgiveness at the final judgment.
* [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. (Matthew, CHAPTER 6, n.d.)
Tamora Whitney asks “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.” How many times have we said this prayer?
The prayer has become standardized and formal. We say it every day (or maybe we should say it every day). And when we do, we should think about what it means and what we are saying. In these or other words, we are talking to our father. We are acknowledging that we love and respect him. We are asking for our basic needs, asking for his forgiveness when necessary, and promising to love and care for each other like he loves and cares for us. (Whitney, 2024)
Don Schwager quotes “Pardon your brother and sister,” by Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"Pardon, that you may be pardoned. In doing this, nothing is required of the body. It is the will that acts. You will experience no physical pain - you will have nothing less in your home. Now in truth, my brothers and sisters, you see what an evil it is that those who have been commanded to love even their enemy do not pardon a penitent brother or sister." (quote from Sermon 210,10) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation is on Isaiah 55:10-11.
Friar Jude Winkler notes that Isaiah is at the end of Deutero-Isaiah, generally attributed to an anonymous poet who prophesied toward the end of the Babylonian exile. We will be transformed by the same Word that directs the rain and the snow. In Luke’s Gospel, the Lord’s Prayer is a series of petitions which is likely closer to the original than the liturgical form used by the community of Matthew. Friar Jude suggests that our willingness to forgive prepares us with compassion so we will be open to receive the compassion and mercy of God.
Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces the CAC Daily Meditations for February.
We are urged by Jesus to be open to the promptings of the Spirit to pray with gratitude to the Father for our daily spiritual and material bread and the grace of forgiveness received and given.
References
Isaiah, THE BOOK OF ISAIAH. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved February 19, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/isaiah/0
Matthew, CHAPTER 6. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved February 19, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/6?7
Psalms, PSALM 34. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved February 19, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/34?4
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved February 19, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=feb20
Whitney, T. (2024, February 19). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved February 19, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/022024.html
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