Forgive us our sins

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Ever notice how many of the Rosary prayers are plural, rather than singular?

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by thy name….

Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.

I have to confess that I’ve always thought of this as me talking about myself, along with others who are also talking about themselves. But there may be a different way.

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Our Lord’s prayer

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I love today’s Gospel, because it puts the Lord’s Prayer in context.

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.”

Luke 11:2-4

So often I just fall into thinking of this prayer as a standalone thing. I want to talk to God, but I don’t know quite what to say, so I’ll rely on the formula I’ve been practicing since I was 3.

Or, in Mass, we want to pray together, so we rely on the form given to us by our liturgy.

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Lead us not into temptation

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I’ve seen ongoing discussion about this concept of God leading us into temptation. Apparently the Italian Bishops are rewording this part of the Our Father to be something like “do not let us fall/be abandoned to temptation” and received approval from the Pope.

It does seem just a bit cruel to imply that a loving God might lead us into a path which could result in our demise.

Yet.

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Freedom

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This coming week, the US will celebrate its core belief in freedom. But the Christian view isn’t quite the same!

For freedom Christ set us free;
so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.

For you were called for freedom, brothers and sisters.
But do not use this freedom
as an opportunity for the flesh;
rather, serve one another through love.

Gal 5:13-14
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Us

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I firmly believe that we’re here to help each other.

There are many times when it feels like I’m on a lonely journey, it’s about ME finding my holy path and getting to heaven. But Jesus made it clear that it’s not just about loving God, but loving each other.

Love your enemies and do good to them,
and lend expecting nothing back;
then your reward will be great
and you will be children of the Most High,
for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Luke 27:37
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Lead us not into temptation

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When I was five years old, I went camping with my family and our cousins. We were close to a stream, so my uncle Fred placed a large stick on the bank with firm instructions not to cross it lest we fall in.

I was five, so I crossed the stick. And fell into the rushing water.

Obviously, I survived the incident, because my uncle was able to run down the valley and pull me out before I drowned.

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