Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.”
Jesus teaches his disciples to say the Our Father, the Lord’s prayer. As one of the disciples came to Jesus to ask him how to pray, he must have asked out of true humility. The disciple also shows a certain observance to tradition that comes across by his asking to be taught to pray just as John the Baptist taught his disciples to pray. Jesus then prays what we know as the Our Father.
Saint Paul says, “We do not know how to pray as we ought.” Lord, help me understand how this applies to me. When I pray the Our Father, let me realize that I am saying the same prayer you said from the heart to be in union with God the Father. Every line of the Our Father is a meditation on the glory of the Father and the mercy he shows us. As a whole, it is complete abandonment to God’s will even for our daily needs. Lord, when I struggle with prayer and distractions crowd my mind, let me remember to ask you as the disciple asks: “Teach me to pray.”
The Gospel acclamation for today is “You have received a spirit of adoption as sons through which we cry: Abba! Father!” With a spirit of adoption, we pray: 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.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
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