You wont find any prayer in scripture that isn’t found in some way in the Lord’s Prayer, St. Augustine writes to Proba, a Roman woman looking for advice about how to pray.
Jesus himself gave this prayer to us. The words of the prayer are teachers of prayer, a school of prayer. No prayer is more important than the Our Father for teaching and leading us into union with God.
“Teach us to pray,” the disciples of Jesus ask him and gave them this prayer as their norm.
It’s a norm, Augustine tells Proba, ” So when we pray we are free to use different words to any extent, but we must ask the same things: in this we have no choice.”
The saint is recommending we pray the Our Father meditatively, a prayer that easily becomes one we say by rote. Think of the words, what they mean, what they tell us. Sometimes it’s good to leave long prayers or many prayers, and simply rest in one, like the Our Father.
The Victor's Place 
Dear Fr Victor, thank you for “Resting in Prayer.” Though it’s longer than Matthew’s or Luke’s
versions, or the one we’re familiar with, I like to think that God doesn’t mind my edition.
Ted and I hope and pray you are safe and well. You look healthy and happy in the videos of
your Sunday homilies. God Bless! Gloria
Abba Father
Abba Father in Heaven, and on Earth, in all your vast Creation…
and in me, your small creation…
Your name is Holy…Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of Hosts,
Heaven and Earth are filled with Your Glory…
Your Will be done on Earth, as you intended, not as life on Earth is now…
Give us each our daily needs, not our wants, not wishing for more…
Help us to be grateful for our gifts and blessings…
Forgive us our faults, our failings, our lack of love for those You love…
Help us to forgive those who hurt us, intentionally or not, who fail to
love us as you love us…
Protect us from the temptations that turn our hearts and minds, and
can lead us away from you…
Hold us in Your loving arms and keep us safe from all that is evil.
Amen.
Gloria Ziemienski
January 29, 2015
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Beautiful version, Gloria! St.Teresa f Avila said that when she prayed this, she would have to stop after “Our Father” and take a breath. The thought of God’s parental love impressed her s deeply.
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