When you pray, do not speak much—that is, do not multiply words before God—like the heathen, that is, the Gentiles do, for when they pray at length they think that in their much speaking—that is, by the power of many words—they are heard by their gods (Matthew 6:7).
And it is no wonder that they pray long and multiply words, for they pray to demons, who, even if they hear, are not able to answer, nor can they do anything unless permitted by God. They pray to dead kings—Jupiter and Mercury—whose crimes are more notorious than their names; and even if they were alive they could not confer salvation. They pray to senseless idols, which have ears and do not hear (Psalm 115:6).
Therefore do not be like them, multiplying words for the same reason they do, as though you thought you would be heard because of much speaking and not rather because of fervent affection. It is clear, therefore, that Christ does not absolutely forbid prolonging prayer, but forbids doing so in the manner of the heathen. For He Himself exhorts us to pray persistently and always (Luke 18:1), which cannot be done without some multiplication of words, whether mental or vocal. He Himself spent the night in prayer (Luke 6:12).
For your Father knows what you need—that is, what is necessary or useful for you—before you ask Him (Matthew 6:8). For divine knowledge is eternal, perfect, and unchangeable. Therefore it is not fitting to speak much as though God were heard because of many words, since otherwise something would be made known to Him by our speech that He did not know before, or He would be moved by a multitude of words—neither of which befits the omniscient and immutable God.
Concerning this passage Chrysostom says: “We are speaking of prayer, which alone the soul offers to God as a kind of spiritual tribute from its inmost being. Do you wish to know how precious prayer is? Nothing is comparable to incense except prayer alone. For just as well-prepared incense delights the one who smells it, so the prayer of the just is sweet before God. Do you wish to know its dignity? As soon as it has gone forth from the mouth, the angels receive it in their hands,” as the angel said to Tobit, “I offered your prayer to God” (Tobit 12:12).
But when you pray, do nothing novel to attract the notice of others—such as crying aloud, stretching out the hands, beating the breast, or lifting the eyes to heaven in a showy manner—but enter within yourself, thinking of nothing except what you pray and to whom you pray, so that you close the door of the carnal senses and drive out all carnal thoughts and anxieties. For if you think about external or carnal matters, you have not entered your inner understanding nor shut the door of the senses; instead, while silently speaking with superfluous thoughts, you lose the time of prayer.
We may also understand this to mean that we should not pray noisily. For many evils follow from loud prayer, especially three: first, one who prays loudly seems not to believe that God is everywhere and hears what is hidden; second, you reveal the mysteries of your prayers to others and are not heard by God because you prayed without discipline, and you are even mocked by people; third, you do not allow another beside you to pray, for by your voice you draw his mind to your words, and thus you not only are not heard but incur sin by preventing others from praying.
Therefore pray as Hannah did, whose lips moved but whose voice was not heard (1 Samuel 1:13). Thus Chrysostom.
Moreover, from the saying “Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him” it might seem to support somewhat the opinion of Socrates, who held that nothing definite should be asked of God since He knows better than we what is expedient—unless Christ had immediately added a prayer asking definite goods.
But since God is unchangeable and is not moved, and not only knows what we need but also what He will give, why do we pray? It must be answered: so that He may give according to the order He foresaw He would give. For although predestination is not from merits, yet in His eternal predestination He has arranged to give grace now and glory later through our prayers and merits. We also pray so that by praying we may desire more fervently and merit more abundantly, become more capable, obtain more benefits, guard received grace more carefully, be strengthened in hope, and become in some way more familiar with God by approaching with confidence the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16).
Next the Son of God teaches the form of perfect prayer and the matter of petitions: “Thus therefore you shall pray” (Matthew 6:9).
About the exposition, praise, and efficacy of this prayer so much has already been said by holy and Catholic doctors that it is almost tedious to read; yet nothing adequate or sufficient has been said, nor ever will be, for so great is the depth of this glorious prayer in meaning, fruitfulness in mysteries, power in effect, and artistry in order that no one can fully grasp or express it.
Therefore the immense and eternal Word of God, incarnate for us, in a certain way shortened the word and completed it upon the earth (Isaiah 10:23; Romans 9:28). “Thus you shall pray: Our Father.”
What increases confidence, inflames affection, and gladdens the humble soul more than that the true and highest God wishes to be called Father by the faithful? Therefore, that we may ask with full confidence and obtain the goodwill of Him whom we invoke, Christ willed that we begin thus: Father—Father by creation, providence, adoption, and redemption; in whose image we are made, by whose providence we are governed, by whose grace we are adopted, by whose mercy we are redeemed.
Although here by the name Father God the Father may be understood, according to Augustine the Trinity is signified. He says “Our Father” rather than “My Father,” so that we may understand that we are all brothers and bound to fraternal love and mutual prayer, praying for one another that we may be saved, and also to know that God is the universal good, with whom there is no respect of persons (2 Chronicles 19:7; Romans 2:11). Chrysostom says that God willingly hears prayer when one prays not only for oneself but for others.
“Who art in heaven”—that is, in the heavenly citizens, the blessed, in whom He dwells in a most excellent way by glory; or in the material heavens, especially the empyrean; or in holy and virtuous people, whose conversation is in heaven (Philippians 3:20), to whom the Apostle says, “You are the temple of God” (1 Corinthians 3:17). For God is in all things by essence, presence, and power, as He says through Jeremiah, “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” (Jeremiah 23:24).
“Hallowed be Thy name”—that is, may Your name be honored with all purity and reverence, known as holy, served in holiness and justice, praised and glorified. “Those who glorify Me I will glorify” (1 Samuel 2:30). “Sanctify the Lord of hosts” (Isaiah 8:13). “God does not need our goods” (Psalm 16:2). “Blessed are the merciful” (Matthew 5:7). “Blessed is he who understands the poor” (Psalm 41:1).
“Thy kingdom come”—that we may be brought to Your beatitude, that the number of the blessed may be completed, and the heavenly Jerusalem built up.
“Thy will be done on earth as in heaven”—that Your commands be fulfilled as among the blessed, so among us.
“Give us this day our supersubstantial bread”—that is, Christ Himself, who said, “I am the living bread who came down from heaven” (John 6:51); or the Eucharistic bread; or spiritual nourishment; or daily sustenance, as in “Give me only what is necessary for my life” (Proverbs 30:8).
“Forgive us our debts”—that is, sins and punishments—“as we forgive” (Matthew 6:12). “Judgment without mercy will be to him who has shown no mercy” (James 2:13).
“Lead us not into temptation”—for “God tempts no one” (James 1:13), yet He tests for purification, as Moses says (Deuteronomy 8:2), and as in Exodus (Exodus 20:20), and Wisdom (Wisdom 3:5), and Job (“He has tested me like gold,” Job 23:10). “Prove me, O Lord” (Psalm 26:2). “Those who have not been tested have perished” (Judith 8:25). Tobit also was tested (Tobit 12:13). We ask not to be overcome, for “God will not let you be tempted beyond your strength” (1 Corinthians 10:13).
The perfect may even desire trials, saying, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” (Romans 8:35–39). “Count it all joy when you fall into various trials” (James 1:2). “Correct me, O Lord” (Jeremiah 10:24).
“But deliver us from evil”—from every incentive to sin, from punishments, dangers, and obstacles to salvation.
“Amen”—a Hebrew word left untranslated out of reverence, since Christ so often used it. It is the fruitful seal of prayer and gathers the soul to all that has been said, renewing the desire to obtain, so that prayer finished with fervor obtains fuller effect.
Finally, concerning the perfection of this Lord’s Prayer and the most fitting order of the seven petitions contained in it, Thomas speaks in this way:
The Lord’s Prayer is altogether most perfect, because not only is everything contained in it that ought to be prayed for, but also in the order in which those things should be sought, so that it instructs the whole of our affection.
For first, in the desire of the soul falls the end itself; afterward, the means to the end. But our end is God, toward whom we tend in a twofold manner.
First, by desiring the glory of God with respect to Himself—namely, that He be honored in all things—which proceeds from charity by which we love God in Himself. To this belongs the first petition: ‘Hallowed be Thy name.’
Second, insofar as we desire to enjoy the glory of God, which arises from the charity by which we love ourselves in God. To this pertains the second petition: ‘Thy kingdom come.’
Now something orders or leads us to this end in two ways.
First, essentially—and this again in two ways: namely, principally and directly, as are virtuous works by which we merit; to this refers the third petition: ‘Thy will be done.’ Second, instrumentally, insofar as it cooperates with or assists good works—which nourishment does—and this is sought in the fourth petition: ‘Give us this day our daily bread.’
Second, something orders us to the aforesaid end accidentally—namely, by removing what hinders or impedes the attainment of salvation, which is our end.
There are three things that impede us from salvation.
The first is sin, which directly excludes from happiness; therefore the fifth petition is: ‘Forgive us our debts,’ etc.
The second is temptation, which draws us away from God; therefore in the sixth petition we pray: ‘Lead us not…’
The third is present penal suffering, which hinders the sufficiency of life; therefore in the seventh we ask: ‘But deliver us…’
Of these seven petitions, the first three begin to be fulfilled now and are perfectly fulfilled in the homeland (that is, heaven). The other four pertain to the necessity and misery of the present life, according to Augustine.
But since ‘the life of man upon earth is a warfare’ (Job 7:1), and we are not freed from the penalties of original sin in this age, it seems that even the last two are fulfilled in the homeland, where neither temptation nor suffering has any place.
Therefore let us most devoutly utter this most sacred prayer, flowing immediately from the fountain of divine and eternal wisdom. Let not frequency produce negligence or weariness, but by repeating it often let us grow always in its affection and grace, so that it may be repeated more fervently than before.
I know a brother who, in order to say this prayer more attentively, would read each little petition in order upon the fingers of his hand, and with greater devotion the more frequently he did so.
That among these seven petitions the fifth—namely, ‘Forgive us’—must be especially attended to, on account of the covenant we make with the Lord in it, is clear from the fact that Christ alone expounds this one, saying: ‘If you forgive men their trespasses…’ As if to say: I have rightly taught you to pray thus, and rightly do you pray, ‘Forgive us our debts,’ for if you forgive men their sins committed against you, whether by action or omission, your heavenly Father will also forgive your offenses committed against Him. But if you do not forgive men, neither will your heavenly Father forgive your sins.
This will be treated more fully below, and is evident from what has already been said. For we are all bound to love—even our persecutors. Hence it is said: ‘He who seeks vengeance will find vengeance from the Lord… forgive your neighbor the wrong done you, and then your sins will be forgiven when you pray’ (Sirach 27:1–2). And in the book of Judges: ‘As I have done, so God has repaid me’ (Judges 1:7).
It is asked how any person who has been offended can forgive sins to the offender, since it is written: ‘Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ (Mark 2:7).
It must be said that God alone forgives sin simply—by grace—removing the stain of guilt and remitting the punishment due according to divine justice. But a human being forgives sin in a certain way—namely, with respect to the injury or offense done to himself, or with regard to the satisfaction owed to him…”
CONTINUE
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