Abraham did not doubt God’s promise in unbelief; rather, he was empowered by faith and gave glory to God and was fully convinced that what God had promised he was able to do. (Roman 4:20)
Jesus gives the Lord’s Prayer in a specific place when his disciples ask him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples” (Luke 11:1). It begins with the intimate and relational title “Father,” emphasizing a tender and close relationship with God. The prayer starts by asking that God’s name be treated as holy and exalted, placing God’s glory first. This petition focuses on the coming of God’s kingdom, a reminder to pray for God’s rule and will to be established on earth. A petition for daily physical, spiritual, and emotional sustenance, met with holy trust in God. This emphasizes the reciprocal nature of forgiveness; to receive God’s forgiveness, one must also forgive others—a request for protection from evil forces and the testing that could lead one away from God.
The Eucharist is a prayer of praise and petition like the Lord’s prayer, because it is a liturgical action through which Christians offer thanks and glory to God for His actions in Christ. Then they make supplications for the needs of the world, the Church, and themselves, uniting these requests to Christ’s sacrifice and asking for the Holy Spirit’s transformative power to be active in their lives.
Saint Peter Julian Eymard’s life was prayer, particularly Eucharistic adoration, because he was deeply centered on Christ in the Eucharist and founded religious orders to promote daily Mass, frequent Communion, and fervent prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. His intense prayer life was characterized by a deep love and reverence for the Eucharist, which he believed was the source of spiritual life and virtue, transforming lives and unifying communities.
Let Us Pray:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Help me to honor and glorify You in all my thoughts, words, and actions today. May your kingdom come, and may your perfect will be done in my life and the world around me, on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.
