November 16, 2013 – Catechism 2786 – 2793

These paragraphs talk about the word “our” and what it means to say it in relationship to God. “Our” can be a possessive word, our car, our house, etc, but it is not a possessive use with God. God is not owned, He is not possessed, He is God. It is much more of a relationship. Children all have an “our” mother, students have an “our” teacher, teams have an “our” coach. It goes to a group of people that are related in the sense that they are all in the same relationship with the person the “our” refers to. That is what I found most interesting about these paragraphs. It takes this idea of relationships and places on us a responsibility. When you say the “Our Father” you are not saying it as an individual. You say the Our Father with and for everyone you are in relationship with, all the “children” of the Father. We do not say “my” father, and we were not told by Christ to say “my”, but “our” because we are meant for community, we are meant for union, we are meant to pray for and with everyone. Whether you are saying the Our Father with your parish on Sunday, 2400 people at some conference, or in your home all by yourself, you saying it with and for all the children of God that have or ever will be.

Boy, the more I read about the “Our Father” makes me realize how special a prayer it is.