The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today alert us to the opposition we may encounter as we try to live our relationship with God that we embrace in the words of the Lord’s Prayer.
The reading from the Second Letter of Paul to the Corinthians declares his mission that features preaching without charge.
* [11:1–15] Although these verses continue to reveal information about Paul’s opponents and the differences he perceives between them and himself, 2 Cor 11:1 signals a turn in Paul’s thought. This section constitutes a prologue to the boasting that he will undertake in 2 Cor 11:16–12:10, and it bears remarkable similarities to the section that follows the central boast, 2 Cor 12:11–18. (2 Corinthians, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB, n.d.)
Psalm 111 tells how God is revealed in Israel’s history.
* [Psalm 111] A Temple singer (Ps 111:1) tells how God is revealed in Israel’s history (Ps 111:2–10). The deeds reveal God’s very self, powerful, merciful, faithful. The poem is an acrostic, each verse beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. (Psalms, PSALM 111, n.d.)
The Gospel of Matthew presents the Lord’s Prayer.
* [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.)
Rev. John Shea, SJ comments that Paul makes himself vulnerable, expressing his love for the Corinthian Christians. Why? Perhaps because Paul was grounded in the Lord’s prayer. In a few brief sentences, this simple prayer implies a personal relationship with God on whom we depend for all our needs. It shows our humility as we experience God’s loving power while acknowledging God as our model of forgiveness and relationship with others. It unites us with Christ as we profess our membership in the family of God.
The Lord’s Prayer can function as a mantra for Christians. When we internalize this prayer, it shapes our entire life: our beliefs, our behavior, our whole relationship with God and with one another. If we pray it constantly, it becomes the heartbeat of our lives. We will not be drawn away by those who come, as Paul says, “preaching another Jesus than the one we preached.” We will be open to those whose Christian beliefs and prayer may differ from ours. The simple model of this prayer leads us to greater unity with Christ, with our Creator and with other Christians. (Shea, 2025)
Don Schwager quotes “Blessed are they who recognize their Father!” by Tertullian, 160-225 A.D.
"Our Lord so frequently spoke to us of God as Father. He even taught us to call none on earth father, but only the one we have in heaven (Matthew 23:9). Therefore, when we pray to the Father, we are following this command. Blessed are they who recognize their Father! Remember the reproach made against Israel, when the Spirit calls heaven and earth to witness, saying, 'I have begotten sons and they have not known me' (Isaiah 1:2). In addressing him as Father we are also naming him God, so as to combine in a single term both filial love and power. Addressing the Father, the Son is also being addressed, for Christ said, 'I and the Father are one.' Nor is Mother Church passed over without mention, for the mother is recognized in the Son and the Father, as it is within the church that we learn the meaning of the terms Father and Son." (excerpt from ON PRAYER 2.2-6) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 6:7-15 shares the words of St. Augustine to help us find new life in a very familiar prayer.
“When we pray, Hallowed be thy name, we are counseling ourselves to desire that his name may be held holy among all people…
“When we pray, Thy kingdom come, which will certainly come whether we want it to or not, we can stir our desire for that kingdom…
“When we pray, Give us this day our daily bread, we mean right now, this present moment. ‘Bread’ can signify whatever will be sufficient for us to live today…
“When we pray, Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, we are advising ourselves both about what we should ask for and what we should do to be worthy to receive it…
“When we pray, Lead us not into temptation, we are encouraging ourselves to look to God for his help so that we don’t find ourselves left to our own inadequate defenses…
“Finally, when we pray, Deliver us from evil, we can bring ourselves to reflect on the fact that we are not yet in that blessed condition where we will be free of all evil…
—Adapted from St. Augustine’s Letter to Proba.
“Heavenly Father, let your kingdom come in my heart today!” (Meditation on Matthew 6:7-15, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler identifies in the latter part of the 2 Corinthians “the angry letter” condemning super apostles who have arrived with the “true message” of God. Paul defends his humility, preaching and receiving support from others. Matthew, in the Sermon on the Mount, warns against babbling like pagans by using a formula of “right words at the right time”. The prayer in Matthew is fully developed but Luke’s disjointed petitions are more likely Jesus' way. In the liturgical formula of Matthew, the “Our Father” emphasizes praise, surrender, intercession, forgiveness, and petitional words. Friar Jude reminds us that our hearts are closed if we cannot forgive others and notes the Italian phrase “deliver us from the trial” as he wonders if we will be strong enough to ask for deliverance.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces writer Danté Stewart who shares how, when watching video footage of protest marchers, he witnessed joy and hope amid suffering.
I looked again at … the videos of millions marching in solidarity, and I saw so much more. I saw joy. I saw intimacy. I saw bodies let loose. I saw tears of strength in the face of danger. I saw heaven smiling as love was cast on Earth’s threshing floor. I saw so much joy. It was not simply resistance; it was power. I saw the good news. I saw a better story than the story we were offered. The beauty of this moment showed that suffering is not the total image. This is a moment of faith, flying one would say. I see an unexpected glimpse into public bravery, the willingness to rise again. There is something about these images that calls out to me to sit still; to ponder, to anticipate life beyond brutality.
This joy is love dancing with reality, humanity. I saw the complex and complicated relationship with hope, a tragic but necessary one if it is to become what it can become— beautiful. [1] (Rohr, n.d.)
We have a mantra in the Lord’s Prayer that brings our relationship with God to the forefront of whatever we are living in the moment. It is a valuable connection to our experience of the Divine.
References
Matthew, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. (n.d.). Readings. Retrieved June 19, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/6?7
Meditation on Matthew 6:7-15. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved June 19, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/06/19/1309148/
Psalms, PSALM 111. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved June 19, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/111?1
Rohr, R. (n.d.). Protest, Pain, and Joy. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved June 19, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/protest-pain-and-joy/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Your Heavenly Father Knows What You Need. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved June 19, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=jun19
Shea, J. (2025, June 19). Daily Reflection June 19, 2025 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved June 19, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-june-19-2025
2 Corinthians, CHAPTER 11 | USCCB. (n.d.). Readings. Retrieved June 19, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2corinthians/11?1
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