Commento di San Tommaso d’Aquino al Padre nostro
Introduzione al Padre nostro
Of all the prayers the most excellent is certainly that of "Sir" or "Our Father."
It has the highest degree in the five requirements that every prayer must be done well: that is, to be sure, straight, orderly, pious and humble.
1. It is safe
Prayer, in fact, should give us the security we can approach "boldly unto the throne of grace" (Hebrews 4:16) and "faith, without hesitation," because, as S. James, "I did not receive anything from the Lord a man who has the fluctuating and unstable mind" (James 1.6 7).
Well, this certainly gives a lot of prayer confidence because it was composed by our Advocate with the Lord, the advocate wise "in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Col 2, 3) and to whom it is said: "We have an advocate with the Father: Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the expiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world "(1 Jn 2:1 2). Rightly S. Cyprian says: "Having as a lawyer before the Father, Christ, who is counsel for our sins, let's talk about our Advocate."
security becomes even greater and our confidence is further encouraged if you think about this: the one who taught us this prayer is the same, with the Father, has the task to fulfill, fulfilling what is said in Psalm 91.15: "I call on and I will answer." For this
San Cipriano says: "It is a prayer from friends and family of that with which we pray to God using his own words."
And undoubtedly this is why this prayer is recited not ever fruitless, so that it gets us among other things, says S. Augustine, the remission of venial sins.
2. It is straight
Every prayer should be governed. In fact, every person who prays must ask God for the graces that are good for him. St. John of Damascus teaches that prayer is "a request to God for things that are good for us."
is why many times the prayer is not answered: Why are asked things that are not good for us, says S. James: "Ask, and you do not get because you ask wrongly" (James 4:3).
Knowing what to ask is very difficult, because it is difficult to know the identity of the real property to be desired. The debate is lawfully in prayer only what is lawful to be desired. The already noted S. Paul to the Romans when he wrote: "Neither do we know what we ought" (Rom 8:26).
Christ But that is our Master, has personally taught us what we need to ask when the disciples asked him, "Lord, teach us to pray" (Luke 11:1). So our prayer is rettissima when we ask God the things that he taught us to ask. He teaches about S. Augustine: "If we want to pray in a decent and affordable, whatever word we use, we ask only what is contained in the Lord's Prayer."
3. It is ordered
Prayer must be ordered, as ordered to be desire. In fact, prayer is the wish interpreter.
Well, the proper order wants so much to desire as we prefer to ask the spiritual goods to those materials and goods of heaven on earth. The Lord warned us: "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all the rest will be given you besides" (Mt 6:33). And precisely this order the Lord has taught us to observe in his prayer, which makes us ask the heavenly things first and then the land.
4. It is devoted
Prayer must also be devoted, because the abundance of devotion, prayer makes the sacrifice acceptable to God, as the Psalmist says: "In your name I will lift my hands and I will fill as a banquet, and with entries joy my mouth shall praise thee "(Ps. 63.5 6).
devotion melts if prayer is verbose. Therefore the Lord himself has commanded us to avoid lengthy delays. Praying use not vain repetitions as the Gentiles who believe will be heard for their much speaking "(Matthew 6:7). S. Augustine, writing to Proba, gives the following warning: "Far from prayer the many words. Do not miss it while it lasts, however, beg the very fervor. " That's why the Lord has willed that this prayer was short.
devotion, then, arises from the love and that love of God and neighbor. And these two loves are recommended in the prayer of Our Father.
God's love is stimulated when, addressed to him, call him "Father."
instead of the next Love is stimulated when, in communion with all, we pray for all the plural, saying: "Our Father." And "forgive us our trespasses." Love of neighbor leads to this fact.
5. It is humble
Finally, prayer must be humble because God turns to prayer of the humble and not despise their prayer "(Psalm 102.18). See also the parable of the Pharisee and the publican (Luke 18.10 14) and Judith's prayer: "Thou art the God of the humble, you are the helper of the destitute" (Judith 9.11).
And this humility is observed in the Our Father. We have true humility when one assumes absolutely not in our own strength, but expects everything from the divine power which turns appealing.
Prayer Our Father is the most excellent of all because it produces three advantages
As for benefits, this prayer procures three major benefits.
1. It is useful and effective remedy against evil because:
free from the sins committed, "You forgave the guilt of my sin. For that I pray every faithful "(Ps. 32.5 6). The thief on the cross prayed, and obtained forgiveness, "Today thou shalt be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43), and his prayer for the publican went home justified (cf. Lk 18.14).
also free from the fear of imminent sins, by the tribulations and sorrows. Scripture says: "One of you is sad? Pray (quietly) "(James 5:13).
finally free from persecution and the enemies. He said about the psalmist: "Instead of loving me, hit me, but I was praying" (Ps. 109.4).
2. It is an effective and useful to get everything we want.
The Jesus promised: "Whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours" (Mark 11:24).
If not then we heard, it is because we follow the Lord's exhortation to "pray ceaselessly" (Lk 18:1).
¬ Or why do not we ask what is best for our salvation, says S. Augustine: "the Lord is good, which often does not give us what we want to give us what we prefer."
This is true in S. Paul, who three times asked to be freed by a thorn in the flesh, but was not heard (cf. 2 Cor 12, 7).
3. It is also useful because it makes us familiar to God, so could say with confidence: "As incense rises to you of my prayers" (Ps 141.2).
Father
On this appeal we make two comments in that sense he is our Father, and what are our duties towards Him as Father.
is that our Father above all because of the special way in which He created us because He created us in His image and likeness (cf. Gen 1:26) which he did with other creatures instead. So it is written: "he is the father who created you, who brought you and made you" (Deut. 32.6).
is then said to the Father so special to govern us. It rules, it is true, all other beings, but we let govern our own masters. The others, however, they leader as slaves. This thing is well expressed in the Book of Wisdom: "Everything is governed, Father, by your providence ... You treat us with great reverence "(Wis 14.3, 12.18).
Father is said also for having taken. If, indeed, to other creatures he has made gifts, but gave us the legacy. This is because we are his children, and "if you have children, then heirs" (Rom 8:17). So the Apostle can say, "You did not receive a spirit of slavery and fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption as sons that we cry 'Abba, Father'" (Rom 8:15).
On our part there are four duties deriving from this authorship
1. The first we have to honor.
the mouth of Malachi, God says: "If I am the Father, where is my honor?" (Mal 1:6). That honor must be manifested in three ways.
First, in giving praise to God as the Psalmist says: "Whoever offers the sacrifice of praise, honor me" (Ps 50.23). Praise, however, that should not be only an homage of the lips but the heart, for God does not deserve the reproach addressed to the Jewish people: "this people approaches me only in words, honors me with their lips, while his heart is far from me "(29:13).
Second, the honor in ourselves accept the exhortation of St. Paul: "Glorify God in your body" (1 Cor 6.20).
Third, honor him with the next judge it fairly, because God is a powerful King who loves righteousness "(Ps. 99.4).
2. Furthermore, we must imitate him.
God says to Jeremiah: "You will say: 'My Father', and do not forget to follow me" (Jer 3:19).
This imitation is realized in three ways: First
, with love, as we are reminded S. Paul: "Be imitators of God as dear children, and walk in love" (Ephesians 5:1). This love should be evident in our hearts.
Second, we must imitate him in exercising mercy, as the Lord commanded us: "Be merciful as your Father is merciful" (Lk 6:36).
Third, it tends to imitate perfectly, because the love and mercy should be perfect: "Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Mt 5:48).
3. We must obey him.
is indeed our Father. In the words of S. Paul "We had as our fathers correction according to the flesh and we respected them, we do not submit so much more to the Father of spirits, to have life?" (Heb 12, 9). This obedience is due to him for three reasons.
First, for the domain that has on us, since he is the Lord of all things, that "what the Lord has spoken we will do and do" (Exodus 24.7).
According to the example that his real son gave us obedient to the Father unto death (Phil 2:8).
Third, we gain the advantage that, as David said to Michal, who despised him for having danced before the Ark: "I did it before the Lord, that chose me instead of your father" (2 Sam 6, 21).
4. We must be patient in the trials that sent us.
He says the Book of Proverbs. "My son, despise not the instruction the Lord and not be weary of his reproof, for the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father, the beloved son "(Pr 3.11 12).
our
two duties arising from this adjective to the next.
1. The first is love, because they are our brothers, because all men are sons of God "who does not love his brother whom he has seen can not love God whom he has not seen" (1 Jn 4:20).
2. The second is respect, because they are children of God in Malachi asks: "Have we not all one father? Perhaps not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously every man against another, profaning the covenant of our fathers? "(Mal 2:10). St. Paul exhorts us: "outdo one another" (Rom. 12:10).
This redounds to our advantage, because "for all who obey him, he became the source of eternal salvation" (Hebrews 5:9).
Who Art in Heaven
There are many things needed for those who are praying. But the most important is trust. S. James says: "Ask in faith, without hesitation" (James 1:6).
Therefore the Lord, teaching us to pray, first presents the two realities that are used to generate confidence in us: the good will of the Father and his immense power.
The kindness of the Father is highlighted initial invocation "Our Father." In fact, he said: "If you who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him" (Lk 11, 13).
The immensity of his power is underlined by the words "who art in heaven." Psalm alludes to this when he says: "To you I lift up my eyes, you who dwell in heaven" (Ps. 123.1).
The phrase "who art in heaven" refers to three things.
First, the preparation of the person who starts to pray, according to the warning that comes from Scripture: "Before prayer prepare your soul, not trying to be like a God" (Sir 18:23).
So in the words "in heaven", which could be defined as "heavenly glory", we can see a reference to the prize which the Lord hath promised to the Apostles when he said: "Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven "(Mt 5:12).
And this preparation must be done by mimicking the beings of the sky, that the heavenly Father, because the child has to imitate the Father, as says St. Paul: "As we have borne the image man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly "(1 Cor 15:49).
The preparation for prayer is also made by the contemplation of heavenly things, because men are wont to direct their thoughts more frequently where their father and other things they love. Indeed, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Mt 6, 21). Rightly, therefore, S. Paul said that "our interest is in heaven" (Philippians 3:20).
Finally, the preparation is done with prayer and with the desire to tend to the things of heaven, so that He who is in heaven only ask heavenly things, according to As stated in the letter to the Colossians: "Seek the things above, where Christ" (Colossians 3:1).
The phrase "who art in heaven" also indicates the ease with which the Lord hears us, because it is near.
In that case, the saints must be understood in heaven, where God lives, because, as Jeremiah says, he lives among us (cf. Jer 14:9). And even when the psalmist says: "The heavens declare the glory of God" (Ps 19:2), the word heaven must be taken to the saints.
God dwells in the saints in three ways:
through faith, wherefore Paul urges the Ephesians: "Christ may dwell in your faith hearts "(Eph 3:17);
through love, because" he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him "(1 Jn 4:16);
and finally through the observance of the commandments because the Lord says: "Whoever loves me will keep my word and my Father will love him and we will come to him and make our abode with him" (Jn 14:23).
The phrase "who art in heaven," alluding to the special power of Him who hears us.
In this sense, the word heaven means the material heavens, not almost wanted to say that God will be small, since it is written of him, that "the heavens and the highest heavens can not contain "(1 Kings, 8:27), but to signify that God is insightful in her eyes, as seen from above, as the Psalmist says:" He turns to prayer of the poor and not despise their supplication. .. it is facing from his sanctuary, he looked at the sky from the earth "(Ps 102, 18:20), is sublime in power," he has established his throne in heaven and his kingdom rules over all "(Ps 103 , 19), is stable in its eternity to him, the psalmist says: "Your last year for every generation ... your years have no end "(Ps 102,25.28). And Christ says that "his throne will continue, as the days of heaven "(Ps 89.30). And Aristotle says that, because of their incorruptibility, all peoples believed that the heavens were the seat of spiritual beings.
why the words "who art in heaven" trust us in praying for three reasons: the power of the One to whom we turn to the familiarity of the One to whom we ask, and the conditions required for prayer.
The power of the One to whom we turn to the skies clear if we understand the physical heavens, though God does not reside or be enclosed in them, as he says of himself: "Am I not fill heaven and earth? "(Jer 23.24).
Stating that he is in heaven are suggested two of his attributes: the virtue of his power and sublimity of his nature.
virtue of its power eliminates the error of those who think that everything happens by necessity, as if under a fate resulting from the stars. For them it would be useless to ask God for something in prayer.
But this is a foolish opinion, because when we say that he is in heaven, you want to say is that he is Lord of heaven and the stars, as also says the psalm: "The Lord made the heavens his throne and his kingdom rules over all "(Psalm 103.19). The second attribute
divine, and that is the sublimity of his nature, is against the habit of those who pray in the building materialistic fantasies about God in heaven because He says, pointing to what is the highest among the sensible things (the sky), we is to affirm his divine sublimity that transcends everything, including intelligence and human desires. So whatever you may think or want is always less than God, as outlines these texts of Sacred Scripture: "Behold, God is so great that we do not understand" (Job 36, 26); "is exalted above all nations the Lord above the heavens is his glory "(Ps 113 [112] 4), "Who could you compare God and what pictures compare?" (Is 40, 18).
The phrase "who art in heaven" means familiarity with him, if heaven means the Saints.
Because some, because of divine transcendence, claimed that God does not care for human affairs, one should consider how much he is close to us, even more intimate. Therefore it is said in heaven, that is in the saints, the meaning of the word of the psalm quoted above: "The heavens declare the glory of God" (Ps 19:2). Closeness and intimacy that we are remembered even by the prophet Jeremiah when he says: "You are among us, Lord" (Jer 14:9).
These considerations inspire confidence in those who pray for two reasons.
First, because it reassures us of God's nearness, as the Psalm says: "The Lord is near to all who call upon him" (Psalm 145.18) and as Jesus says: "But when you pray, go into your room" , ie the chamber of your heart (Mt 6:6).
Secondly, because the intercession of the saints makes us more because we want to achieve, according to the advice given to Job: "Turn to any of the Saints" (Job 5:1) exhortation of St. James: "Pray for one another ... The prayer of the righteous "(James 5:16).
The phrase "who art in heaven" is finally the adequacy and suitability of our prayer.
In fact, our prayer has the necessary conditions if the formula "which art in heaven" we take the heavens for spiritual and eternal, which is placed in our eternal happiness. And this for two reasons.
First, because it turns on in us the desire of heavenly things. Our desire is to be directed where we have the Father, for there is our inheritance. They say the Apostles: "Seek the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God" (Col 3:1) and "To an inheritance which is imperishable, it does not stain and does not rot" (1 Peter 1:4).
Secondly, because as our life is shaped to become heavenly, and we become in accordance with the Heavenly Father, as we read: "What is the heavenly, so also the heavenly" (1 Cor 15, 48).
fact, the desire for heavenly things, and a heavenly life are the two things that make the prayer suitable to ask. And for them the prayer that he should have to ask.
first question: Hallowed be thy name
This is the first application of the prayer taught by the Lord, in which we ask that the name of God is manifest and shine in us.
Now, the name of God is wonderful (wonderful) because it works wonders in all creatures. He says Jesus in the Gospel, speaking of future believers: "In my name they will cast out demons, speak with new tongues, take up serpents and if they drink any poison, they will go against them, lay hands on the sick, and they will recover" ( Mk 16:17).
The name of God is lovable, because "there is no other name under heaven given among men, in which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
And the salvation we all love it. We
about the example of the Holy Bishop Ignatius, who so loved the name of Christ who, when Trajan asked him to deny him, he replied: "Not taking anything away from the mouth."
And when he threatened to cut off his head levarglielo mouth, he replied: "Even if you take it from me mouth, you can not remove it from the heart."
Then Trajan's wanted to cut his head and commanded that he had extracted the heart and it was found that bore the name of Christ in letters of gold. The martyr had put on his heart as a seal (Song 8:6).
The name of God is venerable.
St. Paul says: "God exalted him and gave him the name which is Above the top name, for ¬ who in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth "(Phil 2:9-10).
beings are the angels of heaven, and blessed, and kneel for love.
beings on earth are those who live in this world and do it for the desi ¬ sire to win the glory and to escape punishment.
beings who are in the ground are the damned, who do so for fear (Phil 2, 9 10).
The name of God is ineffable, because every language is unable to express it. This is why the Scripture sometimes uses metaphors from the creatures. So in the Gospel for his resolve is called Peter, as in the phrase: "On this rock I will build my Church" (Matt. 16:18). Or for his virtue is that purifying fire, because, as fire purifies metal, so God purifies the hearts of sinners: "The Lord your God is a consuming fire" (Deut. 4, 24). And her power is said to illuminate the light, because, as the light illuminates the darkness of materials, so that God illuminates the mind. Hence the Psalmist said, "You, Lord, art my lamp, my God lightens my darkness" (Ps 18,29).
For all these reasons we ask that this holy name is revealed to all and all is recognized and held for a saint.
Santo has three meanings. First
may indicate what is laid down, and therefore stationary, stable. It is understandable why the blessed in heaven are called saints, for their stability in eternal happiness. On earth, however, we are not saints because we are continually unstable, as noted S. Augustine himself: "Lord, I slipped away from you and I have too much wrong, I have been inconsistent away from your stable."
Ghost can also mean "no ground". The Saints are in heaven no longer have any affection for the things of the world. They may in fact apply what St. Paul said of himself: "Everything I count as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for which I gave up all these things and count them as rubbish "(Phil. 3:8).
It should be noted here that the ground should be understood sinners. And for three reasons.
First, because of the similarity that exists between this and that.
Sinners are like the earth because of the fruit. In fact, if the land is cultivated not only produces thorns and thistles, as we read in Scripture, "will produce thorns and thistles for you" (Gen 3:18). Similarly, the soul of the sinner, if not cultivated by grace, produces only thorns and stings of sin.
Second, because of the opacity: "The earth was a formless void and darkness covered the abyss" (Gen 1:2).
Third, to dryness. Fact, the earth is a dry cell and is taken to flake is not required compact water moisture. And that is why the nature laid the ground near the water, as the Psalmist says: "He set the earth on the waters" (Ps. 136.6), because the mood of the water eliminates the dryness or dryness of the earth . Similarly, the sinner's soul dry and arid, as the Psalmist says: "I am before you as parched land" (Ps. 143.6).
Finally, the term saint means that which is stained by blood.
So the saints in heaven are called saints because dyed with blood, as it is written: "They are the ones who have passed through the great tribulation and have washed their robes white in the dole ¬ RENDENA blood of the Lamb" (Rev 7 14). And the Lord can say, "He has freed us from our sins by his blood" (Rev 1.5).
Thy Kingdom
The Holy Spirit teaches us to love, to desire and ask directly. And in this way produces in us the gift of fear, from which we are led to ask that the name of God is holy.
He also produces a second gift, and that of the Pietà, which really is a sweet and devoted affection for his father and to any person who suffers.
God is our Father, and to him we should not only respect and awe, but also a sweet and devout.
And this affection that drives us to seek the kingdom of God by living "sober, upright and godly lives in this world, awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God" (Titus 2.12 to 13 ).
Some may object: "The Kingdom of God has always been there, so why even ask that it be?".
Well, our request can be understood in three ways.
1st - A king can claim a kingdom and rule it. But it may happen that his power is not yet effective because the people of the kingdom are not yet covered. His reign will be real only when people of that kingdom's will be submitted.
Now God is by nature already Lord of all beings. And so is Christ as God but as man, although God has given "power and glory and kingdom" (Dan 7:14), his kingdom is not yet effective. It is therefore necessary that all beings are the subjects and this will be the end of time, "he must reign until he has put all enemies under his feet "(1 Cor 15:25).
why we can say: "Thy kingdom come."
And let's say for three purposes: for the conversion of the just punishment of sinners, the destruction of death.
In fact the men will be subject to Christ in two ways: voluntarily or against their will.
Since the will of God is so effective that having to do anyway, and he wishes that all beings are subject to Christ, not to men is that this alternative: either to do God's will voluntarily comply, as do the righteous, with its provisions, or God will force them to endure it when his will, as it does with sinners and his enemies, by punishing them. But this will happen at the end of the world when he "will put his enemies his footstool" (Ps. 110.1).
Consequently while sweet thing to ask the saints to be the Kingdom of God, because they should be totally subject to him, for sinners rather scary thing is, why ask for them the coming of the Kingdom of God is equivalent to asking to be subject to penalties that they impose the will of God they turned menacing when he said the prophet Amos: "Woe to those who await the day of the Lord! What will be your day the Lord? It will be darkness and not light "(Amos 5:18).
And by that, will be destroyed or even death. In fact, since Christ is life itself, there can be no death in his kingdom which is the negation of life. For this reason Saint Paul says, "The last enemy to be destroyed is death" (1 Cor 15, 26). The destruction of death will happen in the resurrection, when the Lord Jesus will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by virtue of the power he has to subdue all things "(Philippians 3:21).
2 ° - Kingdom of God can understand the glory of Paradise.
not seem strange this interpretation because they say the kingdom is to say the scheme. Now the best regime is one where nothing is done against the will of the ruler.
Well God wills the salvation of men: "He wants all men to be saved and come to know the truth" (1 Timothy 2:4).
But this is true in a perfect way to heaven, where nothing more than counteract the salvation of men: "The Son of Man will send his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes and all the workers of iniquity" (Mt 13.41). In this world, however, there are many obstacles that hinder the salvation of men.
Therefore, when we say the prayer "Thy kingdom come," we ask to be made partakers of the heavenly kingdom and glory of Paradise.
This Kingdom is highly desirable for three reasons.
First, in absolute justice that reigns there, because there is fulfilled what the prophet said: "Your people shall all be righteous" (Is 60.21).
While down here are good mixed with bad, but there there will be no evil or sinful.
is desirable then there is the most perfect freedom. Indeed, while there is no freedom here on earth, despite all the natural impulse to want, in heaven there will be total freedom from any kind of slavery: "the creation waits with eager longing ... to be liberated from its bondage to decay "(Rom 8,19.21). Indeed, in all
Paradise will not only be free, but will reign. He says the Book of Revelation: "You made them for our God a kingdom of priests and shall reign on the earth" (Rev 5:10).
And it is why the fact that everyone will always have a voice with that of God, because God wants what they want these saints and what God wants, so that the will of God becomes their will.
Therefore all will reign, because will be done the will of God and all will be the crown of all: "On that day the Lord of hosts will be a crown of glory, a beautiful tiara for the rest of his people" (Is 28.5).
This kingdom will finally be desirable for the wonderful abundance of goods, "no ear has heard, no eye has seen a God who, out of say, has done so much for those who trust in Him" \u200b\u200b(Is 64.3). And again: "He satisfies your desires with good things" (Ps. 103.5).
Note that the man will only find in God all the goods and in a far more excellent and perfect than you could ever want in this world.
You go in search of pleasure? You'll find it in God in the highest degree. Would
riches? You'll have plenty of those goods in which goods are ordered.
And so we say to each other well.
St. Augustine says in his Confessions: "The soul when sin is away from you should be looking outside of yourself that purity and clarity that you can find if not back to you."
3 ° There is a third way of understanding the Kingdom of God sometimes to reign in this world is sin. This happens when a person is willing to follow and fully satisfy the inclination to sin, while S. Paul warns: "Do not sin reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey his wishes "(Rom 6:12).
But God must reign in your heart, as Isaiah says: "Zion, Your God reigns" (Is 52,7). And this happens when people are ready to obey God and keep His commandments.
When we pray that the kingdom of God, we ask that we not reign in sin, but God
This inquiry leads us to happiness mentioned by Matthew 5.4: "Blessed are the meek."
In fact, since the man wanted God to be Lord of all, do not avenge themselves of the wrongs but reserve everything to God
fact, if you revenge, not request the Kingdom of God
Also, if you wait for the Kingdom of God, that is the glory of Paradise, do not worry about the loss of worldly things.
And finally, if you ask yourself that God reigns and reign Christ, since Christ was very mild, you should also be mild, "Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart" (Mt 11:29). And "you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, knowing that they have the best and most durable goods" (Hebrews 10:34).
Thy will be done on earth as in heaven so
The third product in our gift from the Holy Spirit is the gift of knowledge.
Holy Spirit, in fact, not only produces within us the gift of fear and pity, which, as mentioned, is a sweet love for God, but it also enables him to become wise. Asked David when he said this: "Teach me the wisdom and the wisdom, because I trust in your commandments" (Psalm 119.66). And this is the Science taught by the Holy Spirit by which man lives well.
time between lessons about science and the wisdom of man, the highest is the one that teaches us not to trust in its view, as stated in the Book of Proverbs: "Do not lean on your own understanding" (Pr 3, 5).
In fact those who presume in its opinion to the point of not believing in others, but only to themselves, are always found and judged foolish. We read in Proverbs: "Do you see a man who believes that wise? You better hope for a fool than for him "(Proverbs 26:12).
humility is just the man I do not believe your opinion: this fact has its roots in the wisdom, as stated in Pr 11.2: "the proud too confident in themselves."
This teaches us the Holy Spirit with the gift of knowledge, so that we do our will but that of God
By virtue of this gift we ask God that His will be done as in heaven so on earth.
This is manifested the gift of knowledge: because when we ask God that His will be done, we put ourselves pretty much in the attitude of a patient who asks the doctor to heal something. It does not require specifying what he wants, but defers to his will. Otherwise if he were only his head would be a fool.
So we must ask God anything outside of the fulfillment of his will, namely, that his will be fulfilled in us.
Only then, man's heart is right: when it agrees with the divine will.
So Christ did: "I am down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me "(Jn 6.38).
For Christ, as God is, has the same Father's will.
But, as man has a will distinct from that of the Father. And according to this will say they do not do our own will but the Father. And teach us to pray and ask: "Thy will be done."
But what is the meaning of this question? Not perhaps the psalmist says that "all he wants the Lord does in heaven and on earth" (Ps. 135.6)?
If he does everything he wants in heaven and on earth, which may have the sense to ask that you made your will?
To understand this, we must know that God wants three things toward us. And we ask that these three things are realized.
The first thing God wants from us is that we possess eternal life. Who does something for a certain purpose, he wants that thing to reach the goal. Now God made man, but not without a purpose, for nothing. The Psalm says: "Maybe you've created all the sons of men in vain?" (Ps 88.48).
Well, He created human beings to an end: but not for the pleasure of the senses, because they also own the animals, but because they have eternal life.
The Lord, therefore, wants man to have eternal life.
Now, when a being achieves the purpose for which it was made, it is said that you save, and when it is said that the result is lost.
And since God made man for eternal life, they saved when the result. And that God wants: "This is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life" (Jn 6:40).
This desire has already made the angels, and saints who are in Heaven because they see God and enjoy him.
But we desire that the will of God be fulfilled in us who are in the ground so as was accomplished in the saints in heaven. And this we ask when we say "Thy will be done."
The second thing that God wants from us is that we keep His commandments. Who does not want one thing only wants what he wants but also the means to achieve it.
The doctor, who wants the healing of the sick at the same time wants to diet, medicines and whatever else is necessary for his health.
Well, as God wants us to attain eternal life, it also wants to do what is necessary to achieve it, and we achieve to keep his commandments. The Lord says: "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments" (Matt. 19:17). E S. Paul: "Let your rational worship ... to recognize what the will of God, good, pleasing and perfect "(Rom 12: l 2).
Good because it is useful, because, as Isaiah says, "I am the Lord your God that you sign up on your right, you drive down the street on which you have to go" (Isaiah 48.17).
Pleasant because, although it is not pleasant for others, it is delightful for those who love God we read in Psalm: "A light has dawned for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart" (Ps 97.11).
Perfect because it's spiritually beautiful, as the Lord wants us to "perfect as perfect Heavenly Father "(Mt 5.47).
So when we say "Thy will be done," we ask to keep the commandments of God
But this will of God as is done in the right, which are indicated by the word heaven is not accomplished yet in sinners , marked with the word land. We therefore demand the fulfillment of the will of God on earth, that the sinner, as in heaven, that is in the right.
Even the terminology used there is a teaching. It does not say: 'do, nor do we, but thy will be done, because to have eternal life you need two things: the grace of God and the will of man.
fact though God created man without the man, however, is not justified without her cooperation. St. Augustine says: "He who created you without you, will not justify you without you," because he wants men to cooperate. "Turn to me and I will return to you" (Zech 1:2), and St. Paul: "By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain" (1 Cor 15:10) .
Do not assume, therefore, of yourself, but trust in the grace of God, and not be negligent, but committed.
why do not you say so does not appear that anything operated by the grace of God, nor does', anything that does not appear to operate our will and our effort, but is made, that is, by the grace of God and our commitment and effort.
The third thing that God wants for us is that we return to the status and dignity in which it was created the first man and dignity was so great, that his spirit and his soul not felt any rebellion on the part of the meat and sensuality.
Until his soul was subject to God, the body was so covered by the spirit not experience any corruption or death, or sickness, or other passions.
Since however the spirit and soul, which was intermediate between God and the flesh, with sin have rebelled against God, the body has rebelled against the soul and then began to experience death and illness and ongoing rebellion of sensuality and spirit. Describing the condition S. Paul says, "I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind" (Romans 7:23) and "the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh" (Gal 5, 17).
So there is a constant struggle between the flesh and spirit, and the man with sin is increasingly deteriorating. Therefore, it is God's will that man be returned to its original state, so that in meat there is nothing to counteract the spirit: "This is the will of God, your sanctification" (1 Thessalonians 4:3).
This will of God can not be achieved in this life, but only in the resurrection of the saints, when the body will be resurrected and glorified incorruptible and noble because "it is sown in dishonor, raised in glory" (1 Cor 15.43).
it, in spirit, will be completed in just by justice, knowledge and life.
And so when we say "Thy will be done", ask that it be done even in the flesh, where we mean by the word heaven and earth we mean the spirit meat.
This then is the meaning: "Thy will be done", so on earth, that is, in our flesh, as in heaven, or in our spirit by justice.
With this invocation, we come to the bliss of tears of which the Lord spoke: "Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted" (Matt. 5:4).
And this is true in each of the three explanations.
According to the first: because we want eternal life, there is to see it delayed because of affliction, as also saith the Psalm: "Alas, my stay has been extended" (Ps. 120.5). This desire
the saints in heaven was sometimes so great as to make them wish for death, which in itself should be avoided. Says S. Paul: "We are full of confidence and prefer to be away from the body and home to the Lord" (2 Cor 5:8).
But according to the second interpretation, those who keep the commandments of God are also in distress, because even though they are sweet to the soul, however, are bitter to the flesh, which is constantly soaked. The Psalm says: "He that goes forth weeping" in the flesh, "but will come home with shouts of joy" as the soul (Ps. 126.6).
equal according to the Third, and the struggle that there is continuity between the flesh and spirit, resulting grief.
it is impossible that the soul does not get hurt by the flesh, at least for venial sins.
And dovendoli atone, is in tears. The psalmist says: "Every night on my bed crying floods, ie the darkness of sin, danced on my bed with tears" (Ps. 6:7), that is my conscience.
And those who mourn in this way, come to the country, which lead us to God
Give us this day our daily bread
The application is made under the gift of fortitude
happens many times that a person becomes shy to his great knowledge and wisdom and therefore it requires the strength of my heart not to weigh the difficulties. Well, this Fortress gives the Holy Spirit, who "gives strength to the weary and increases the force to the weary" (Is 40.29) and in Ezekiel says: "the spirit entered into me, made me stand up" ( Ez 2:2).
infused by the Holy Spirit, this fortress makes the human heart is not depressed by fear of the tests, but have firm faith that what he needs to be given by God is why the Holy Spirit, who gives the Fortress , teaches us to ask God for our bread. And so is called "Spirit of Fortitude".
In the first three questions ask spiritual goods which, although they start in this world, will have their perfect achievement only in eternal life. So when we say "hallowed be the name of God, we ask that the holiness of God is recognized, and when we say" Thy kingdom come, we ask you to be made partakers of eternal life when we say "Thy will be done" we ask that his will have its fulfillment in us.
All these things that, although beginning to happen in this world, can not be their full potential in life eternal.
was therefore necessary that we ask God some things you can have perfectly even in this life.
To this end, the Holy Spirit has taught us to ask for the necessities of this life, we can have fully in this world, to show us that even temporal goods are given to us by God and He is making us say this: " Give us this day our daily bread. "
With the words "Give us this day our daily bread" the Holy Spirit teaches us to avoid five sins which are led by the desire of temporal things.
a sin of those who, driven by unbridled greed, look for what is beyond his state and his condition was not content with what they deserve. For example, someone who is a soldier, does not want to dress like a soldier, but to count, which is a cleric, cleric does not want clothes, but as a bishop. This defect
distracts the men from the spiritual goods, because their desire is too attached to worldly goods.
The Lord taught us to avoid this flaw by asking us to ask only the bread, that is essential to the present life, according to the condition of each. There he taught, then, to ask things delicate, refined and choices, but the bread, without which human life can not exist and it is essential for all, as Ben Sira says: "essential to life are water, bread, dressed" (Sir 29.28).
That S. Paul exhorts, "So when we have something to eat and raiment, be content with this" (1 Timothy 6:8).
2 - A second sin is that of those who, in order to acquire worldly goods, damaging others and rob them. And this is a flaw is particularly dangerous, as it is unlikely that the stolen goods be returned. Says S. Augustine that "the sins are not forgiven if you do not return the stolen goods" (Ep. 153,6,20) and S. Gregorio "thieves eat a loaf of iniquity." Well we are taught to avoid this defect, making us ask for bread, "our", not that of others. The thieves, in fact, do not eat their own bread but that of others.
3 - A third flaw is the excessive breathing.
There are people who are never happy with what they have, but would like to have more and more: this is certainly something disorderly, because desire is the rule of necessity. The sage asked the Lord: "Do not give me neither poverty nor riches, but let me have the food they need, because, once satisfied, I will not deny" (Pr 30.8 9). Jesus taught us to avoid making this vice ask for our bread "daily" that is just enough for one day or one period.
4 - A fourth flaw is greed.
There are people who want to consume in one day what would suffice them for many days. They do not really ask for daily bread, but bread for ten days.
And because they spend to get it too, happen to spend all they possess. The Scripture says: "The drunkard and the glutton shall become poor" (Proverbs 23.21) and again: "A worker shall not be rich drunkard" (Sir 19:1).
5 - The fifth sin is ingratitude.
Who riches easily become arrogant and does not recognize that's all he has comes from God This is a very great evil, because all the assets we have, be they spiritual or material, we come from God, as King David rightly says: "Everything is yours, Lord .. . everything comes from you "(1 Cr 29.11 14).
To remove this defect we have therefore been taught to say: "Give us our bread," so we learn that all of our things are from God
And this we also have a test. It sometimes happens that someone possesses great wealth, yet they derive no benefit, but rather only give spiritual and temporal. Some experts are in fact precisely because of their wealth. Ecclesiastes tells the fact: "I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth kept by the owner to his detriment. They go up in smoke this wealth for a bad deal, and his son who is born has nothing in their hands "(Eccles 5.12 13).
And again: "I have seen another evil under the sun, which weighs heavily on men. God has granted to a property, wealth, honor and lacks for nothing as it wanted, but God gave him to enjoy them, because he is an outsider who enjoys it "(Eccles 6:1).
We therefore pray that our riches come back to our benefit. Qquesto ask us when we say: "Give us our daily bread" that is to say, "makes that our riches we are useful.
thus avoiding that it also happens to us as we read: "His food will spoil in the bowels, the poison of asps is in the gut. Goods consumed hours rivomita, God will hunt out of the womb "(Job 20.14 15).
6 - Another defect are then in the things of the world, the excessive concern.
There are some, in fact, that even now, worry about what will happen in a year and I think the time, always restless, contrary to what the Lord exhorts: "Do not worry, saying, What shall we eat? What shall we drink? What shall we wear? " (Mt 6.31).
And so the Lord teaches us to ask that it be granted us this day our bread, that is what we need at present.
But there are also two other species of bread and the sacramental bread of the Word of God (St. Cyprian, De Dominica oratione).
Well, we ask that our sacramental bread, which the Church dedicates every day, because as we receive the Sacrament, so it is beneficial for our salvation. "I am the bread that came down from heaven. - Jesus said - if anyone eats this bread will live forever "(Jn 6:51). But St. Paul warns: "He who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks his own condemnation" (1 Cor 11, 29).
The other bread is the Word of God, since "not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" (Mt 4:4).
When asked to give us bread, so we ask God to give us his word.
From it comes the promise of happiness to those who hunger for justice. In fact, once we have the spiritual goods, we want you even more. From this desire comes the hunger, satiety and hunger that eternal life to which we tend.
Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive our debtors
There are people who have great wisdom and strength, but too confident in its strength and therefore not acting wisely in what they do not carry out their intentions and disregard for the warning: "Ponder well your drawings, recommending" (Pr 20.18 ).
must, therefore, that the Holy Spirit, who bestows the gift of Fortitude, gives also to the Council because any good advice concerning the salvation of mankind by the Holy Spirit.
The gift of counsel is essential to the man when he is in the test. As he has to resort to medical advice when ill, so when it is spiritually sick because of sin, to heal must advice.
That the gift of counsel is necessary for the sinner, it also shows Daniel when he writes: "Accept my advice was affected your sins with alms and thy iniquities with acts of mercy to the afflicted" (Dn 4 24).
Excellent advice against the sins is therefore to give alms and mercy. For this reason the Holy Spirit teaches the sinner to ask in prayer: "Forgive us our trespasses."
we owe to God of his rights when he cheated. It is the right of God that we do His will in preference to ours. When we prefer our own will his, defrauded of his right, and this is sin.
then our sins are debts to them of God's Holy Spirit we should ask forgiveness. We do so by saying: "Forgive us our trespasses."
This request we can get three questions:
1) Why do people make such a request;
2) when it satisfies;
3) What is expected of us because it fulfills them. And here are the answers.
From this request we may collect two teachings which are needed for men in this life.
The first is that men must always remain in fear and humility.
There were in fact some so presumptuous as to teach that man is able to live in this world succeeding with his own strength to avoid sin. But this was never granted to anyone, except to Christ, who possessed the Spirit without measure (Jn 3:34), and the Blessed Virgin, which was full of grace and in which there was no sin, as Augustine says: " When it comes to sin I will not even mention that she is "(De Natura et gratia 36.42).
But no other saint was given to avoid at least venial sins, so S. John could write: "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us "(1 Jn 1:8). And it also confirms this application. So obviously, it is convenient to all the saints and all men recite the Pater Noster, where exactly it says: "Forgive us our debts," thereby acknowledging and confessing to be debtors and therefore sinners.
So if you are a sinner, you have to be afraid and humiliated.
The other lesson is the exhortation to always live in hope, because, though sinners, we must not despair, so that does not lead us to despair and commit other more serious sins, as did the pagans of which says the Apostle: "In desperation, they surrendered debauchery, committing every kind of impurity with insatiable greed "(Eph 4:19).
So hope is always very helpful, because, although it is sinful, man must have faith that if you repent perfectly, God will forgive. And this hope is strengthened in us when we ask: "Forgive us our trespasses."
This hope was denied by Novatians (heretics of the third century), who taught that if one sinned even once after Baptism, it could never be pardoned. But this is not true, because Christ said: "I have canceled all that debt because you begged me" (Mt 18.32). So get forgiveness from God by sin, if any, sorry, I'll ask.
arise from this invocation, therefore, the fear and hope, as all sinners, as long as contrite and confessed, they obtain mercy. That is why this appeal was necessary.
As to the second question, you should know that in sin we must distinguish two things: the guilt with which offends God and the punishment due to guilt.
Well, the blame is a matter for sorrow, combined with a desire to confess and to satisfy, as also saith the Psalmist, "I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord, and you have forgiven the guilt of my sin" (Ps. 31.5). There is no need to despair because, for the remission of guilt is sufficient contrition for the purpose of confession.
But someone might object: if obtaining forgiveness of sin is enough contrition, then what is the priest? To which you reply, that God's call for repentance so the blame, but the eternal punishment is transformed in time, for which the sinner is still obligated to serve this punishment. If so he would die without confession, but not guilty of contempt for not been able to do it, would go to purgatory, where the penalty, in the words of Augustine, is very great.
So when you confess to you, the priest absolves you from this penalty for the power of the keys that you submit to him confessing. For Christ said, "Receive the Holy Spirit: whose sins are forgiven and who does not forgive them, are retained" (Jn 20:22 23).
So when one tells you once, he is forgiven part of this sentence, and so when he confesses again, so that we might confess many times until it is called the penalty completely.
The successors of the Apostles, have come up with another way to put this pain, that with the benefit of indulgences, which, for those who live in love, have value to the extent and conditions in which they are granted.
the Pope can grant it is beyond doubt. Many in fact did many good works that they had no sin, at least fatally. Their good deeds they did so to the benefit of the Church. Similarly, the merit of Christ and the Blessed Virgin that are a common treasury.
Consequently, the Supreme Pontiff, and those to whom he gave it right, may dispense with this treasure when it believes necessary.
Thus sins are forgiven from the guilt of contrition, as the sentence with the confession and through indulgences.
The third question, it should be noted that our part is required that we forgive to our neighbor to the injuries he fatteci. For this we say: "as we forgive our debtors." Otherwise God will not forgive us. For it is written: "Forgive offense to your neighbor and then you pray for your sins will be forgiven. If someone keeps the anger towards another man, how dare ask for healing from the Lord? "(Sir 28.2 3).
And again: "Forgive and you will be forgiven" (Lk 6, 37). And this is why this question is addressed only in the condition "as we forgive our debtors."
If you do not forgive then you will not be forgiven. You
however, argue, I pronounce the first part of the prayer, that "forgive us our debts," omitting the second "as we forgive our debtors."
But do you think you can fool Christ? He, who composed this prayer remembers it well and then you can not deceive him. What you say with your mouth, so try to fulfill it with the heart.
But one may wonder if the person does not seek to forgive his neighbor, also have to say the words "as we forgive our debtors." Apparently not, because then you would pray that his debts are not forgiven.
It should instead say that must tell you, because he does not pray in his own name but on behalf of the Church is not deceived.
why the application is made in the plural.
should then also consider that forgiveness to others may be granted in two ways.
One is the perfect and when he is offended that the same goes in search of those who have offended, according to the counsel of the psalmist: "Seek peace and pursue it" (Ps 33.15).
The other is common to all and to which all are required, and consists in granting forgiveness to people who asked, according to Sirach says the "Forgive offense to your neighbor and then you will pray for your forgiven sins "(Sir 28:2).
This question connects the beatitude "Blessed are the merciful. Why is the mercy that makes us have compassion for our neighbor.
And lead us not into temptation
Some sins and then, desiring to obtain the forgiveness of their sins, confess them and if they repent, but do not work hard, as they should, not to fall.
But it is really nice one, on the one hand, weep over his sins when he repents, and other reasons accumulations of tears back to sin. For it is written: "Wash you, make you clean, remove the evil from your actions, in my view. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good "(Isaiah 1:16).
That is why Christ, as taught in the previous question we ask forgiveness of sins, this teaches us to ask to avoid them, ie not to be led into temptation by which we slip into sin and we say: "Do not Lead us into temptation. "
About this question, we have three questions:
1) What is the temptation,
2) how and by whom a man is tempted,
3) as it is freed from temptation.
As to the first question, we say that is just groped or put to the test test, so groped the man means to prove his virtue. This can be accomplished in two ways, according to the two demands of human virtues, which are to serve the good, or good behavior, and avoid evil, according to the admonition of the Psalmist: "Stay away from evil and do 'good "(Ps 33.15).
The virtue of man is thus proven to at times as well to do, and sometimes about the evil to be avoided.
In the first case, man is tested to see if he is ready for good, and if you're ready to find good means that your virtue is great. Well, sometimes God's wise man in this so, not because he does not know her power, but to ensure that everyone is aware of and to all a good example.
was to this end he tried Abraham and Job, and it is with this intention that he often sends tribulation to the righteous, that is, endure, it appears their power and make more progress. He says in Deuteronomy: "The Lord your God gives you tests to see if you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul" (Deut. 13.4).
it has become clear that God tries to incite to good.
In the other case, the virtue of man is put to test dall'istigazione evil.
If he resists and does not consent to temptation, her power is great.
If you succumb, her power is nothing. But this way no one is tempted by God, because he, like James says, "do not tempt anyone to evil" (James 1:13).
In response to the second question (how and by whom a man is tried), note that man is tempted to evil in three ways: by
own flesh,
by the devil and the world . From
meat is attempted in two ways.
The flesh incites to evil, because it always seeks its own pleasures in which, since of carnal pleasures, there is often a sin by the fact that those who allow themselves to be absorbed by those they neglect the spirit. Is said to S. James: "Everyone is tempted by his own lust, and enticed him, then the lust conceives and begets sin" (James 1:14).
The meat then try diverting man from the well. Indeed, while the spirit, as far as depends on him, is always delighted spiritual goods, the meat with his weight he is a hindrance, because "a perishable body weighs down the soul" (Wis 9:15).
S. Paul writes: "I accept in my heart to God's law, but in my members I see another law at war with the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin which is in my members "(Rom 7.22 23).
And this temptation of the flesh is very serious because our enemy, the flesh, was joined to us, and as Boethius says, "there is no more harmful pest for us to be an enemy of our family" ( De consolation philosophiae III, 5).
Against the meat so you have to watch: "Watch and pray, lest you fall into temptation" (Mt 26:41).
In turn, the devil tempts with extreme violence. Once
fact that you have won the flesh, this triggers another of our enemy, the devil, against whom we must support a great battle: "Our struggle is not against human flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in the heavenly places "(Eph 6:12).
why Satan is expressly said the tempter (Matt. 4:3; I Thess 3:5).
groped in The Devil uses a lot of cunning.
As an able captain who besieged a fortress, before studying the weak point of the person who wants to drop and then try sees where the most vulnerable. So
Once people have made it harmless for its own flesh, Satan will try to defects in those who are more inclined, like anger, pride and other vices spiritual. Says S. Peter: "Your enemy the devil goes around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8).
Then when he tries, put in place two devices.
At first it does not propose immediately to the person attempted an object clearly bad, but something that has the appearance of good, to turn away from its initially so important about it later and be able to more easily lead to sin, once it is even managed to distract a little from the well: in other words, "Satan disguises himself as an angel of light" (2 Cor 11:14).
Later on, when he induced to sin, the alloy so that it could not detach themselves to blame because, in the words of Job, "the sinews of his thighs was inextricably interwoven" (Job 40.17).
So the devil does two things: first deceives and then holds those who have deceived into sin.
The third tempter is the world, which also tries in two ways.
First of all, with an excessive and inordinate desire of temporal things, because as the Apostle says: "The love of money is the root of all evil" (1 Tim 6:10).
Using the persecutors and tyrants, then also brought terror to try, so says the Book of Job: "We too are wrapped in darkness" (Job 37.19) and S. Paul adds: "All who live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (2 Timothy 3:12). But the Lord assures us: "Do not fear those who kill the body, but can not kill the soul" (Matt. 10:28).
From the things said is so clear what the temptation, and how and by whom a person is tried.
remains to be seen how the man is freed from temptation.
On this last point it should be noted that Christ teaches us to ask not to be tempted, but do not be led into temptation.
For if the man wins the temptation deserves the crown, and that is why James warns us: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face various trials" (James 1:2), and Sirach adds: "Son, if you come forward to serve the Lord, prepared to temptation" (Sir 2:1).
is why we are taught to ask not to be led into temptation approved consent, and S. Paul comments: "No temptation has surprised if non-human, because God is faithful and will not allow you be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation also make a way out and the strength to bear it "(1 Cor 10:12).
Being tempted is in fact a human thing, but to allow what is evil.
Maybe God leads to evil as we say: "Lead us not into temptation"?
answer that says that God causes the evil in the sense that it allows, as it is, because of his many past sins, the man withdraws his grace, which closed, he slips into sin. For this we say with the Psalmist, "Do not forsake me when my strength is declining" (Ps 70.9). But God
says the man, because it does not fall into temptation, through the fervor of charity, no matter how little, is enough to keep us from all sin. Fact that "many waters can not quench love" (Song 8.7).
also contends with The Living Daylights, by which instructs us on things to do, for as the Philosopher says: "Every sinner is ignorant."
And, since God had promised to his mouth: "I'll make you wise, will show you the way to go" (Ps 31.8), this gift David asked him cry out: "O Lord my God, keep the light in my eyes because I sleep the sleep of death, because my enemy say, I won "(Ps 12.4 5).
We get all this with the gift of understanding, by which, if we do not allow the temptation, keep a pure heart, which is called "Blessed are the pure in heart" (Mt 5:8).
In this way we will come to the beatific vision, which makes us reach the Lord.
But deliver us from evil. Amen
In the two previous applications the Lord has taught us to ask the forgiveness of sins and how to avoid temptation.
Here instead teaches us to ask to be preserved from evil. This request
is general, as Augustine points out, because it affects all the evils, sins and that the illness, adversity and affliction.
But because of sin and temptations already mentioned, now we just have to mention other evils, that of adversity and tribulations of this world from which God delivers us in four ways.
1 - Preventing the affliction that hits us. But it rarely happens that the saints are not afflicted in this world, because "all who live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (2 Timothy 3:12).
Some, however, God gives the times not to be afflicted by evil, that is when you know impotent and unable to stand in the same way the doctor who administers drugs is not too strong to a weak patient. In this way of doing God's Revelation alludes when he says: "I opened a door in front of you that no one can close because you have little strength" (Rev 3:8; Vulgate).
in heaven instead will be common to all the blessed exemptions from all affliction. It is said that the Lord, "will deliver you from six troubles - namely those of the present life, which usually stand out in six age groups - the seventh and the evil will not touch them" (Job 5:19), and again, that they: " will no longer hunger or thirst will or will strike the sun or burning of any kind "(Rev 7:16).
2 - Consulate when troubles occur.
if God does not console, the man could not resist. The Apostle wrote it himself: "The trouble that has happened to us in Asia has hit us beyond measure, beyond our strength" (2 Cor 1:8), but added: "God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us "(2 Cor 7.6), and even the psalmist could say of himself:" When I was overwhelmed with anxiety, your comfort comforted me "(Ps 93.19).
3 - By giving to the afflicted so many goods to make them forget the evils, so as to tell Tobia "You do not delight in our afflictions, but do return after the storm and the calm after the tears and the tears pour out the joy" (Tb 3:22).
are therefore not to fear the trials and tribulations of this world because they are easily tolerated, and for the consolation is that their unity, both for their short-lived, as the Apostle says: "The temporary, light weight of our tribulation, gives us a huge amount of glory and eternal "(2 Cor 4:17). For they say you come to eternal life.
4 - transforming into good trials and tribulations.
is why you do not say "deliver tribulation, "but" evil ", because the saints are the tribulations of their crown, and then they glory in it, as if he gloried S. Paul when he said: "We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces patience, patience, perseverance and a perseverance brings hope. And hope does not disappoint "(Rom 5.3 5).
And Tobias said: "Blessed be your name, God of our fathers ... that in time of trouble forgive sins "(Tb 3:13).
God, therefore, frees him from the evil of the tribulation when the turns in well, and this is a sign of highest wisdom, because it is wise order of evil to good. And this is achieved through the patience which is exercised in hardship. Indeed, while all other virtues are the property of man, the patient uses instead of the evils, and therefore it is necessary only in Mali, which is in hardship. We read in the Book of Proverbs: "From the patient know the wisdom of man" (Proverbs 19:11).
That the Holy Spirit, through the gift of wisdom, makes us ask, hope to reach that bliss which commands us peace, for it is through patience that we get peace, both in prosperity in adversity . And so we understand why the peaceful be called sons of God, or like him, because, like God, to them nothing can hurt or the things prosperous nor bad. Therefore it is said: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God" (Mt 5:9).
Then close our prayer by saying Amen, almost as a seal of confirmation to all our questions.
Concluding summary
To summarize briefly what has been said about the Lord's Prayer, it should be noted that in the Lord's Prayer contains all of the things to be desired and all those to be avoided.
Among the things to want, you want more than what you love, that God That's why we ask first for the glory of God, saying, "Hallowed be thy name."
to God are then required three commodities that concern you.
The first is that you can reach the eternal life, and you ask him when you say: "Thy kingdom come."
The second is that you do the will and fulfill God's justice, and ask him when you say "Thy will be done."
The third is that you have the necessities of life and asks him when you say: "Give us this day our daily bread."
alludes to these three assets when the Lord says about the first
"Seek first the kingdom of God ";
about the second:" His righteousness ",
and about one third," and all these things shall be added to you "(Matt. 6:33).
things instead to avoid and escape are those which are contrary to good.
And the good that we should want is fourfold.
The first is the glory of God it is no evil because it is contrary to the good from evil and evil as God punishes him, because it rewards the good. Therefore it is said: "If you sin, you do that? ... If you're right, what you give him? "(Job 35.67).
The second is eternal life, and it is against sin, that sin is lost. To remove
say so: "And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive our debtors."
The third well is the justice and good works, and this good are against the temptations, because they prevent us from doing good. To remove this evil we call "lead us not into temptation."
The fourth well are the necessities of life, they oppose the hardships and tribulations. To remove them ask, "deliver us from evil. Amen.
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