The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to explore the connection we have with God through events when we experience “Our Loving Father”.
The reading from the Prophet Isaiah exhorts us to discover God in our being.
* [55:10–11] The efficacy of the word of God recalls 40:5, 8. (Isaiah, CHAPTER 55 | USCCB, n.d.)
Psalm 34 offers 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 | USCCB, n.d.)
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus 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.
* [6:14–15] These verses reflect a set pattern called “Principles of Holy Law.” Human action now will be met by a corresponding action of God at the final judgment. (Matthew, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB, n.d.)
Carol Zuegner shares what is probably the most difficult part of the “Our Father: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
God expects me to open my heart and forgive those who have hurt me. That part is harder. If I want God to forgive me, I have to extend that forgiveness to others. The temptation to hold on to anger, slights and feeling righteous is strong. That evil inside of me is what I need to be delivered from. This well-loved and oft-repeated prayer can help open my eyes and my heart to that forgiveness that I need to extend to my family, friends, colleagues, those I agree with and those I disagree with. I need to listen to what people are telling me and see beyond the words and actions. I can truly try to do God’s will on earth: To love my neighbor as myself. To forgive others as I would hope to be forgiven. (Zuegner, 2025)
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 on Isaiah 55:10-11 comments that today’s first reading talks about the way that God’s word goes forth and accomplishes his will. The prophet compares it to the way that rain and snow come down from heaven and make the earth fruitful and give “bread to the one who eats” (Isaiah 55:10). But like that loaf of bread in the grocery store, it can sometimes take a while for us to see God’s promises fulfilled.
Just look over salvation history. You can see God’s faithfulness when he called a people to himself; he taught the Israelites and led them to the Promised Land. You can see it when, in the fullness of time, Jesus—the Word made flesh—came into the world for our salvation. You can see it in the establishment and growth of the Church over the centuries. And you can likely see it in your own life, too. Because God is good and loving—and he keeps his word to us!
“Lord, your word never fails!” (Meditation on Isaiah 55:10-11, 2025)
Friar Jude Winkler notes the passage from Isaiah dates to the Exile and expresses the hope that God will restore them to their land. The sense of the Word of God within them resonates with the understanding of Augustine. Friar Jude compares the liturgical form of the Lord’s prayer in Matthew with the disjointed petitions in Luke and cites the petition in the Italian version asking God not to abandon us to temptation.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces theologian Serene Jones who offers a compelling description of God’s ever-present and transformative grace.
God does not stay at a distance from us but constantly seeks to transform our lives by asking us to awaken to the divine presence. God is a mysterious, creative, sustaining life force.… God is there all the time. The challenge for us is to open our eyes, ears, hands, minds, and hearts to receive the truth of God’s real, persistent presence, God’s grace. When we open ourselves to it, we are changed by it. The way we perceive the world shifts, like a radically refocused camera lens, and we experience life differently. You see everything around you as suffused with God’s love. You see God’s grace everywhere, saturating all existence. This process of awakening to what is already true, but you haven’t previously seen it, is called conversion—a word that literally means “to see anew.” (Rohr, n.d.)
The familiar phrases of the “Lord’s Prayer” connect us to recognizing God as a Father and accepting His grace and sustenance in all the good and trying times on our journey.
References
Isaiah, CHAPTER 55 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/isaiah/55?10
Matthew, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/6?7
Meditation on Isaiah 55:10-11. (2025, March 11). The Word Among Us. Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/03/11/1224841/
Psalms, PSALM 34 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/34?4
Rohr, R. (n.d.). Eternally Present Love. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/eternally-present-love/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Your Heavenly Father Knows What You Need. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=mar11
Zuegner, C. (2025, March 11). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/031125.html
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