GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to Luke 11:1-4

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.”

He said to them, “When you pray, say:

Father, hallowed be your name,

your Kingdom come.

Give us each day our daily bread

and forgive us our sins

for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us,

and do not subject us to the final test.”

The word of the Lord

An Open Window

The disciples saw how often Jesus prayed—how He withdrew to quiet places and communed intimately with the Father. They realised that prayer was at the very heart of Jesus’ life, and so they asked Him: “Lord, teach us to pray.” What’s beautiful is that Jesus didn’t give them a method or formula; instead, He began to pray Himself, allowing us to glimpse His precious Heart. Every word of the Our Father is a window into Christ’s intimacy with the Father. The Lord invites us into that same intimacy.

Jesus begins His prayer with a word that changes everything: “Father.” This awakens us to our true identity—we are beloved children. Contemplating this truth renews the heart: I am a child, in need of my Father, dependent on His love, His providence, His mercy, His protection… and so I throw myself into His arms and, like a little child, say: “Father, hold me—I’m tired! Guide me—I’m lost! Help me—I can’t do this alone!” By recognising this truth, we begin a relationship of love and intimacy, and the Our Father becomes the Heart of Jesus beating on our lips.

Applied to Married Life

Alfie: Eleonor, what do you think about praying together with the children before dinner?

Eleonor: I think it’s a wonderful idea—what better way for them to get to know the Lord! Then we can continue with our couple’s prayer, alright?

(Alfie and Eleonor persevered in family and marital prayer. Each evening before dinner, they read the Gospel and, like Jesus, prayed aloud to the Father. Little by little, their children learned to cultivate that intimacy with the Lord, which transformed their lives.)

Mother,

I love imagining your moments of prayer in Nazareth—with Jesus in your arms, repeating in His little voice the psalms and prayers you and Joseph would say.

Holy Family, make our home a school of prayer and love! Thank you, blessed Mother!