.
Well we’re almost a week into Lent. Think back to the gospel for Ash Wednesday: the good deeds we do for Lent are not to be paraded before others. If we do this we have had our reward since others know the good we have been doing.
In the same way that reading reminds us not to be pray so that others will see us praying because if this is our purpose in prayer, then that is its own reward.
Instead that first gospel of Lent reminds us to go to our inner room, to ‘close the door’ and to pray in that secret place, to be in relationship with God in the alone place where we are most ourselves.
The Ash Wednesday reading then skips ten verses and jumps to an instruction on fasting, reminding us not to make a public show of our fasting but rather to fast in that hidden place, the place of meeting between you and Jesus.
These scriptures present to us two worlds: an outer world and an inner world.
How easy it is to live in the outer world where things are done for show, to receive the affirmation of others, or to appear successful in the eyes of the world. But the place where we really seek confidence and peace is in the depth of our being, our heart, our soul.
Each day and especially in the mid-night hours we can become anxious about many things: health, those we love, financial worries and an endless list of other anxieties. In the middle of the night when there is no one else to talk to and our day-time escapes are not available, things can get uncomfortable and the night seems long. But Jesus is there looking forward to that secret conversation we might initiate in that secret and lonely place.
Today’s gospel is those ten missing verses from the sixth chapter of Matthew’s gospel focussing on prayer: when you pray don’t use lots of words, because your Father knows what you desire in the depth of your heart and prayer is the expression of the desire of your heart.
In these verses the disciples ask Jesus to teach them how to pray and he responds: Our Father.
We know well the rest of the prayer, but even those two opening words are a rich prayer in themselves: Our Father.
Take the word FATHER.
To hear Jesus refer to God as Father was a great shock, even a heresy, to the people of his time since the relationship with God was not understood to be as intimate as the healthy relationship between a father and a child. But here Jesus is saying Father, even daddy, (Abba) in a close intimate way.
We are called into relationship with God who is not a distant ruler, but a God who in Jesus is present, with us, in as intimate a love as the relationship between the healthy father and his child.
Now let’s consider the word OUR.
When we pray this prayer we don’t pray “my” Father but OUR Father.
In this first word of the prayer we are reminded that we are not alone. People all over the world in every moment are praying this prayer. We are related to each other because of our relationship with God and are members of ONE family. This is why we use these words so often to pray for others. We are not alone and even as we pray for others we know too that others are praying for us.
I was moved a few years ago to hear a father share that he taught his child to pray this prayer especially in the middle of the night when the child woke and felt sad or anxious. This father went on to explain that he taught his son this prayer because when he himself was a small child and woke anxious in the middle of the night: “my grandfather told me to pray this prayer, and I did and it works!”
I invite you throughout the day whenever you have a moment to pray the Our Father,
Prepare now to take a few moments in stillness and silence and pray slowly, as a mantra, growing to appreciate at a deeper level the beauty of these two words.
Our Father.
Our Father.
Our Father.
UPDATE FROM ROME
I mentioned a couple of days ago that the three young Marists studying in Rome are happy to give us updates on the news-on-the-ground in these days of Pope Francis’ illness. Last week Lachie shared a reflection and today Hemi writes:
In fact, aside from a mention at morning prayer, and Professoressa asking at the beginning of each lecture, ‘have you prayed for the Holy Father?,’ there isn’t much talk of it around town. It is, at best, the number four story in the news – behind Prime Minister Meloni and the immigration crisis, and three mentions of Donald Trump. And this is all because, as much as we might like it to not be so, there is no news to speak of. So, we just have to hurry up and wait. But I assure you, as soon as I hear any news you will be the first to know – mostly because we would be reading the same Vatican News update at the same time. In the meantime, we keep praying for him. That’s what really matters, after all.
CAFE GATHERINGS
Send your date and time to add to the list, and just turn up at at one of the advertised gatherings, just one hour, focussing on where we are encountering Christ.
TODAY CHRISTCHURCH
Tuesday 11 March 9.30am
Invitation from John O’C
Daydream Cafe,
247 Waimairi Road, Ilam, Christchurch 8041
NEW PLYMOUTH
Wednesday 12 March 10.00am
Invitation from Joan
Stumble Inn
200 Mangorei Road New Plymouth
CHRISTCHURCH
Invitation from John O’C
Wednesday 12 March 11.30am
Urban Eatery (Oderings)
205 Cashmere Road, Hoon Hay, Christchurch 8025
WHANGANUI
Thursday 13 March 7.00am (note correction – am not pm)
Invitation from Kate
St Mary’s Church, Whanganui.
TAURANGA
Thursday 13 March 10.30am
Invitation from Frances
Zest cafe in Greerton
TRENTHAM
Tuesday 18th March 1pm
Invitation from Kat
Cafe Equinox
458 Fergusson Drive, Trentham,
AUCKLAND NORTH SHORE
Thursday 20 March 10.30am
Invitation from Catherine
Columbus Coffee
219 Don McKinnon Drive (outside Westfield overlooking the lake) Albany
It’s a very powerful prayer the Our Father. To think we’re praying as a world family just makes it truly amazing.
Our Father is such a universal prayer translated into 1000s of languages. When we say the line “Lead us not into temptation” however, it needs a reworking… as God would never do that. Perhaps we could translate inside our heads that line to mean something like “give us the grace to resist temptation.” But then perhaps we might just stay with the mantra “Our Father.” It is enough to get through the dark nights.
In the French version of the Lord’s prayer which I learned many years ago we pray –
“Et ne nous laissez pas succomber a la tentation”
Do not let us succumb to temptation.
Made more sense to me! I continue to pray it!!
Absolutely the best prayer – such a relief to be able to go to it when the dithering ones head toward nonsense!
Care Gathering addition:
Auckland, North Shore
Thursday 20 March, 10.30am
Invitation from Catherine
Columbus Coffee
219 Don McKinnon Drive (outside Westfield overlooking the lake)
Albany
Thanks Father this homily was a message from Heaven for me. It was needed at this moment. Thank you