The Gathering of the People of God “… this people of God, without whom there can be no disciple lifestyle, seems to be absent from the Our Father.

“For Jesus the only thing at stake is the honor of God, God’s great name. The only honor and glory of God is God’s people but not understood in the sense of a nation-state; rather, this is the people Ezekiel has in mind.”

“… the prayer is already open to the Pentecost experience of

the community of disciples.”  The 1st petition apparently is the most important; the disciples are urged to pray.

The Our Father properly prayed, “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot

be hidden.

Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket,

it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house.

Just so, your light must shine before others that they may see

your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the

prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.

Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the

smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the

law, until all things have taken place.

Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

The Coming of God’s Reign, “Thy Kingdom come…” the 2nd Petition comes from Daniel 7: 13-14, [eschatological is hope] royal kingship/rule Jesus is talking about God’s rule.

“… when the Our Father prays for the coming of God’s reign,

the background lies in Daniel 7 …. “

The Realization of God’s Plan is the 3rd Petition – “Your Will Be Done” appears is only in St. Matthew’s version of the Our Father.

Jesus means, “… just as in heaven God’s will is done to the utmost...

so it ought to be done on earth by human beings.”

Jesus’ relatives … do not understand that Jesus must now ‘go

public’ in Israel, … to proclaim the reign of God….”

The will of God in Matthew’s Gospel “… describes what God

intends for the world….”, God’s plan of salvation, God’s plan

for history ….”

“If these observations are correct, then behind the first three

petitions of the Our Father stand three of the great prophets of

Israel: Ezekiel, Daniel, and Isaiah.”

May God Be Praised!