Thought for the Day – 19 October – The First Part of the “Our Father”

Thought for the Day – 19 October – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

“Month of the Holy Rosary”
The First Part of the “Our Father”

“The Pater Noster, being God’s own composition, is the most perfect of prayers.
It covers, moreover, all our obligations and all our needs.
It may be divided into two parts, the first of which refers to God, the second to ourselves.
We should ask, first of all for whatever is important to God and then, for whatever concerns ourselves.
This is the command of Jesus.
“Seek first the kingdom of God and His justice and all these things shall be given you besides” (Mt 6:33).

When we have invoked our Father in Heaven, we go onto pray: “Hallowed be Thy name.”

Let us think about this.
What do we look for first of all when we pray?
Is it the glory of God, or, is it our own self-interest?
Which occupies the principal place in our thoughts, God, or our own ego?
Let us remember that we have been created for the glory of God.
We shall not find happiness, unless, we seek God’s glory alone, for God is our true welfare.

We must not allow ourselves to become absorbed in insignificant worldly objects, which can never completely satisfy us.
Rather, must we keep our minds on God.
“God alone is sufficient,” said St Teresa.
Without Him, there is nothing good within us or around us.

When we say “Hallowed be Thy name,” moreover, we should not only give God’s glory precedence over all our desires but, we should also make an act of reparation for the countless blasphemies by which His name has been injured.
How can we remain passive and inert, while our Creator and our Redeemer is being continually blasphemed and offended?
At the very least, we can set against the diabolical insults of many of our fellow-men, our own humble and loving prayer: “May Thy name, my God, be blessed and glorified.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci