Pater Noster
The Lord's Prayer was taught by Jesus Christ Himself when His disciples asked Him how to pray. It is the perfect prayer, containing all we need to say to God.
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen.
The Our Father appears in the Gospels of Matthew (6:9-13) and Luke (11:2-4). When the disciples asked Jesus, "Lord, teach us to pray," He gave them this prayer as the model for all Christian prayer. It has been central to Christian worship since the earliest days of the Church.
"Our Father, who art in heaven"
Jesus invites us to address God intimately as Father (Abba). The word "Our" reminds us that we pray not alone, but as members of God's family, the Church.
"Hallowed be thy name"
We begin by honoring God's holy name. This petition asks that God's name be treated as sacred and that we may live in a way that glorifies Him.
"Thy kingdom come, thy will be done"
We pray for God's reign to be established on earth, and we surrender our own will to His perfect plan, trusting that His will is always for our good.
"Give us this day our daily bread"
We ask for our physical needs, but also for the Eucharist—the Bread of Life. "Daily" (Greek: epiousios) can also mean "supersubstantial," pointing to the Eucharist.
"Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive"
We ask for God's mercy while committing to extend that same mercy to others. Our willingness to forgive opens our hearts to receive divine forgiveness.
"Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil"
We acknowledge our weakness and ask God's protection from sin and the Evil One. We trust in His power to guide and protect us through life's trials.
The Our Father is prayed at the beginning of each decade of the Rosary, on the large bead that separates the decades. It grounds each decade in Christ's own words and reminds us that all prayer is ultimately directed to the Father through the Son.