The Prayer That Forms Us

Gospel reflection for Tuesday, Feb. 24th, 2026 - Matthew 6:7-15

We say this prayer at every Mass, and with every Rosary. It was one of the very first prayers I learned as a child and one we teach our children to pray, using it as a model.

The Our Father.

So familiar is this prayer that we run the risk of missing what Jesus is teaching us in today’s Gospel.

In these few short lines of scripture is captured the authentic prayer that Jesus is showing us to pray even today. We are not to babble like the pagans, saying many words hoping to gain God’s attention. God is already aware of what is in your heart, no amount of words will change His knowledge of you.

In every way this prayer is a guide, a model of how to cultivate a relationship with God, Our Father, providing us the words to get started. This prayer shows us that prayer is not merely words but more a matter of the heart.

“Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

In this prayer we acknowledge the fathership of our God, His closeness to us, and that in all matters, our hearts, our minds, our everything must align with His will, not our own.

Further, we must recognize that we are dependent on God for our spiritual sustenance, our daily bread. Our souls cannot survive without Him, we need His mercy.

Wrapping up Jesus tells His disciples a very difficult teaching “If you forgive men their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”

We depend on the mercy of others as much as we do our Lord, and He takes all matters of the heart into account, even our forgiveness and unforgiveness. A very difficult teaching for the hearts of men.

As we wade further into this season of Lent, as season focused on prayer, I invite you to ponder the Our Father. Ponder God’s fatherhood, His knowledge of our hearts’ needs and desires before we even ask Him. Ponder our dependence on Him as little children, and our dependence on His mercy. And finally, pray about Jesus’ words on forgiveness, that if there are any areas of unforgiveness that He might provide the grace this Lent for each of us to overcome it and truly forgive as our Father forgives us.

Jesus said to his disciples:
“In praying, do not babble like the pagans,
who think that they will be heard because of their many words.
Do not be like them.
Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

“This is how you are to 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.

“If you forgive men their transgressions,
your heavenly Father will forgive you.
But if you do not forgive men,
neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”