On the Lord’s Prayer.

 

 1. The evangelical precepts, beloved brethren, are nothing else than divine teachings,—foundations on which hope is to be built, supports to strengthe

 2. He, among the rest of His salutary admonitions and divine precepts wherewith He counsels His people for their salvation, Himself also gave a form o

 3. Let us therefore, brethren beloved, pray as God our Teacher has taught us. It is a loving and friendly prayer to beseech God with His own word, to

 4. But let our speech and petition when we pray be under discipline, observing quietness and modesty. Let us consider that we are standing in God’s si

 5. And this Hannah in the first book of Kings, who was a type of the Church, maintains and observes, in that she prayed to God not with clamorous peti

 6. And let not the worshipper, beloved brethren, be ignorant in what manner the publican prayed with the Pharisee in the temple. Not with eyes lifted

 7. These things, beloved brethren, when we have learnt from the sacred reading, and have gathered in what way we ought to approach to prayer, let us k

 8. Before all things, the Teacher of peace and the Master of unity would not have prayer to be made singly and individually, as for one who prays to p

 9. But what matters of deep moment are contained in the Lord’s prayer! How many and how great, briefly collected in the words, but spiritually abundan

 10. Nor ought we, beloved brethren, only to observe and understand that we should call Him Father who is in heaven but we add to it, and say our

 11. But how great is the Lord’s indulgence! how great His condescension and plenteousness of goodness towards us, seeing that He has wished us to pray

 12. After this we say, “Hallowed be Thy name ” not that we wish for God that He may be hallowed by our prayers, but that we beseech of Him that His na

 13. There follows in the prayer, Thy kingdom come. We ask that the kingdom of God may be set forth to us, even as we also ask that His name may be san

 14. We add, also, and say, “Thy will be done, as in heaven so in earth ” not that God should do what He wills, but that we may be able to do what God

 15. Now that is the will of God which Christ both did and taught. Humility in conversation stedfastness in faith modesty in words justice in deeds

 16. Moreover, we ask that the will of God may be done both in heaven and in earth, each of which things pertains to the fulfilment of our safety and s

 17. And it may be thus understood, beloved brethren, that since the Lord commands and admonishes us even to love our enemies, and to pray even for tho

 18. As the prayer goes forward, we ask and say, “Give us this day our daily bread.” And this may be understood both spiritually and literally, because

 19. But it may also be thus understood, that we who have renounced the world, and have cast away its riches and pomps in the faith of spiritual grace,

 20. He teaches us that riches are not only to be contemned, but that they are also full of peril that in them is the root of seducing evils, that dec

 21. For daily bread cannot be wanting to the righteous man, since it is written, “The Lord will not slay the soul of the righteous by hunger ” and aga

 22. After this we also entreat for our sins, saying, “And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.” After the supply of food, pardon of s

 23. He has clearly joined herewith and added the law, and has bound us by a certain condition and engagement, that we should ask that our debts be for

 24. For even in the sacrifices which Abel and Cain first offered, God looked not at their gifts, but at their hearts, so that he was acceptable in his

 25. Moreover, the Lord of necessity admonishes us to say in prayer, “And suffer us not to be led into temptation.” In which words it is shown that the

 26. Now power is given against us in two modes: either for punishment when we sin, or for glory when we are proved, as we see was done with respect to

 27. After all these things, in the conclusion of the prayer comes a brief clause, which shortly and comprehensively sums up all our petitions and our

 28. What wonder is it, beloved brethren, if such is the prayer which God taught, seeing that He condensed in His teaching all our prayer in one saving

 29. Nor was it only in words, but in deeds also, that the Lord taught us to pray, Himself praying frequently and beseeching, and thus showing us, by t

 30. But the Lord prayed and besought not for Himself—for why should He who was guiltless pray on His own behalf?—but for our sins, as He Himself decla

 31. Moreover, when we stand praying, beloved brethren, we ought to be watchful and earnest with our whole heart, intent on our prayers. Let all carnal

 32. Moreover, those who pray should not come to God with fruitless or naked prayers. Petition is ineffectual when it is a barren entreaty that beseech

 33. Those prayers quickly ascend to God which the merits of our labours urge upon God. Thus also Raphael the angel was a witness to the constant praye

 34. And in discharging the duties of prayer, we find that the three children with Daniel, being strong in faith and victorious in captivity, observed

 35. But for us, beloved brethren, besides the hours of prayer observed of old, both the times and the sacraments have now increased in number. For we

 36.  Let not us, then, who are in Christ—that is, always in the light—cease from praying even during night. Thus the widow Anna, without intermission

33. Those prayers quickly ascend to God which the merits of our labours urge upon God. Thus also Raphael the angel was a witness to the constant prayer and the constant good works of Tobias, saying, “It is honourable to reveal and confess the works of God. For when thou didst pray, and Sarah, I did bring the remembrance of your prayers before the holiness of God.  And when thou didst bury the dead in simplicity, and because thou didst not delay to rise up and to leave thy dinner, but didst go out and cover the dead, I was sent to prove thee; and again God has sent me to heal thee, and Sarah thy daughter-in-law. For I am Raphael, one of the seven holy angels which stand and go in and out before the glory of God.”91    Tob. xii. 12–15. By Isaiah also the Lord reminds us, and teaches similar things, saying, “Loosen every knot of iniquity, release the oppressions of contracts which have no power, let the troubled go into peace, and break every unjust engagement. Break thy bread to the hungry, and bring the poor that are without shelter into thy house. When thou seest the naked, clothe him; and despise not those of the same family and race as thyself. Then shall thy light break forth in season, and thy raiment shall spring forth speedily; and righteousness shall go before thee, and the glory of God shall surround thee. Then shalt thou call, and God shall hear thee; and while thou shalt yet speak, He shall say, Here I am.”92    Isa. lviii. 6–9. He promises that He will be at hand, and says that He will hear and protect those who, loosening the knots of unrighteousness from their heart, and giving alms among the members of God’s household according to His commands, even in hearing what God commands to be done, do themselves also deserve to be heard by God. The blessed Apostle Paul, when aided in the necessity of affliction by his brethren, said that good works which are performed are sacrifices to God. “I am full,” saith he, “having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God.”93    Phil. iv. 18. For when one has pity on the poor, he lends to God; and he who gives to the least gives to God—sacrifices spiritually to God an odour of a sweet smell.

XXXIII. Cito orationes ad Deum ascendunt quas ad Deum merita nostri operis imponunt. Sic et Raphael angelus Tobiae oranti semper et semper operanti testis fuit dicens: Opera Dei revelare et confiteri honorificum est. Nam, quando orabas tu et Sarra, ego obtuli memoriam orationis vestrae in conspectu claritatis 0540CDei. Et cum sepelires tu mortuos simpliciter, et quia non es cunctatus exsurgere et derelinquere prandium tuum, sed abisti et condidisti mortuum, missus sum tentare te; et iterum me misit Deus curare te et Sarram nurum tuam. Ego enim sum Raphael, unus ex septem Angelis justis qui assistimus et conversamur ante claritatem Dei (Tob. XII, 11-15.). Per Esaiam quoque Dominus admonet et docet similia contestans: Solve, inquit, omnem nodum injustitiae, resolve suffocationes impotentium commerciorum. Dimitte quassatos in requiem et omnem consignationem injustam dissipa. Frange esurienti panem tuum, et egenos sine tecto induc 0541Ain domum tuam. Si videris nudum, vesti; et domesticos seminis tui non despicies. Tunc erumpet temporaraneum lumen tuum et vestimenta tua cito orientur, et praeibit ante te justitia, et claritas Dei circumdabit te. Tunc exclamabis, et Deus exaudiet te, et dum adhuc loqueris dicet: Ecce adsum (Isa. LVIII, 6-9). Adesse se repromittit et audire ac protegere se eos dicit qui, injustitiae nodos de corde solventes et eleemosynas circa domesticos Dei, secundum ejus praecepta, facientes, dum audiunt quod Deus praecipit fieri, ipsi quoque a Deo merentur audiri. Beatus apostolus Paulus, in necessitate pressurae adjutus a fratribus, opera bona quae fiunt sacrificia Dei dixit esse: Saturatus sum, inquit, recipiens ab Epaphrodito ea quae a vobis missa sunt, odorem suavitatis, sacrificium acceptum et 0541Bplacitum Deo (Phil. IV, 18). Nam, quando quis miseretur pauperis, Deum foenerat; et qui dat minimis, Deo donat, spiritaliter Deo suavitatis odorem sacrificat.