Chapter II — On the Lord's Prayer

§ 1. On the Lord's Prayer in general

1. Which is the most excellent vocal prayer?

The most excellent vocal prayer is the one Jesus Christ Himself has taught us, namely, the Pater Noster.

2. Why is the Pater Noster the most excellent prayer?

The Pater Noster is the most excellent prayer because Jesus Christ Himself composed it and taught it to us; because it contains clearly, in a few words, all that we can hope for from God; and is the rule and model of all other prayers.

3. Is the Pater Noster also the most efficacious prayer?

The Pater Noster is also the most efficacious prayer, because it is the most acceptable to God, since we pray with the very words that His divine Son has dictated to us.

4. Why is the Pater Noster called the Lord's Prayer?

The Pater Noster is called the Lord's Prayer, that is, the Prayer of the Lord, precisely because Jesus Christ taught it to us from His own mouth.

5. How many petitions are there in the Pater Noster?

In the Pater Noster there are seven petitions, preceded by a preamble.

6. Recite the Pater Noster.

Our Father, who art in heaven:

1. Hallowed be Thy name.

2. Thy kingdom come.

3. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

4. Give us this day our daily bread.

5. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.

6. And lead us not into temptation.

7. But deliver us from evil. Amen.

7. Why, in invoking God at the beginning of the Lord's Prayer, do we call Him our Father?

At the beginning of the Lord's Prayer we call God our Father in order to awaken our confidence in His infinite goodness, since we are His children.

8. Why can we say that we are children of God?

We are children of God: 1. because He created us in His image and preserves and governs us by His providence; 2. because, by special benevolence, He adopted us in Baptism as brothers of Jesus Christ and coheirs with Him of eternal glory.

9. Why do we call God our Father and not my Father?

We call God our Father and not my Father because we are all His children, and we must therefore regard and love one another as brothers, and pray for one another.

10. Since God is in every place, why do we say to Him: who art in heaven?

God is in every place; but we say: Our Father, who art in heaven, to raise our hearts to heaven, where God manifests Himself in glory to His children.

§ 2. On the first petition

11. What do we ask in the first petition: Hallowed be Thy name?

In the first petition, "Hallowed be Thy name," we ask that God be known, loved, honored, and served by all the world, and by us in particular.

12. What do we mean by asking that God be known, loved, and served by all the world?

We mean to ask that the infidels may come to the knowledge of the true God, that the heretics may recognize their errors, that the schismatics may return to the unity of the Church, that sinners may repent, and that the just may be perseverant in good.

13. Why, before all else, do we ask that the name of God be hallowed?

Before all else we ask that the name of God be hallowed, because the glory of God must be more at heart for us than all our goods and advantages.

14. In what way can we procure the glory of God?

We can procure the glory of God by prayer, by good example, and by directing to Him all our thoughts, affections, and works.

§ 3. On the second petition

15. What do we understand by the kingdom of God?

By the kingdom of God we understand a threefold spiritual kingdom; namely, the kingdom of God in us, that is, the kingdom of grace; the kingdom of God on earth, that is, the holy Catholic Church; and the kingdom of God in heaven, that is, paradise.

16. What do we ask with the words "Thy kingdom come," with regard to grace?

With regard to grace we ask that God may reign in us by His sanctifying grace, by which He deigns to dwell in us as a king in his palace, and to keep us united to Him by the virtues of faith, hope, and charity, by which He reigns over our intellect, our heart, and our will.

17. What do we ask with the words "Thy kingdom come," with regard to the Church?

With regard to the Church we ask that she may ever more spread and propagate herself throughout all the world for the salvation of men.

18. What do we ask with the words "Thy kingdom come," with regard to glory?

With regard to glory we ask that we may one day be admitted to holy paradise, for which we were created, where we shall be fully happy.

§ 4. On the third petition

19. What do we ask in the third petition: Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven?

In the third petition, "Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven," we ask the grace to do in everything the will of God, by obeying His holy commandments as readily as the angels and saints obey Him in heaven. We further ask the grace to correspond to the divine inspirations, and to live resigned to the will of God when He sends us tribulations.

20. Is it necessary to carry out the will of God?

It is as necessary to carry out the will of God as it is necessary to attain eternal salvation, because Jesus Christ has said that only he who has done the will of His Father shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.

21. In what way can we know the will of God?

We can know the will of God especially through the Church and our spiritual superiors established by God to guide us on the way of salvation. We can also know this most holy will from the divine inspirations and from the very circumstances in which the Lord has placed us.

22. Must we always recognize the will of God in the prosperous or adverse things of life?

In the things, whether prosperous or adverse, of the present life we must always recognize also the will of God, who arranges or permits all things for our good.

§ 5. On the fourth petition

23. What do we ask in the fourth petition: Give us this day our daily bread?

In the fourth petition, "Give us this day our daily bread," we ask of God that which is necessary to us each day, both for the soul and for the body.

24. What do we ask of God for our soul?

For our soul we ask of God the sustenance of the spiritual life: that is, we pray the Lord to give us His grace, of which we have continual need.

25. How is the life of our soul nourished?

The life of the soul is nourished especially by the food of the divine word and by the Most Holy Sacrament of the altar.

26. What do we ask of God for our body?

For our body we ask that which is necessary for the sustenance of temporal life.

27. Why do we say "give us this day our bread," and not rather "give us this day bread"?

We say "give us this day our bread," and not rather "give us this day bread," in order to exclude every desire of another's goods; therefore we pray the Lord to help us in just and lawful gains, that we may procure our food by our labors, without thefts and deceptions.

28. Why do we say "give us our bread," and not "give me"?

We say "give us" instead of "give me" to remind ourselves that, since our means come to us from God, so, if He gives us them in abundance, He does so in order that we may dispense the surplus to the poor.

29. Why do we add daily?

We add daily because we must desire what is necessary for life, and not the abundance of foods and goods of the earth.

30. What else does the word today mean in the fourth petition?

The word today means that we must not be too anxious about the future, but ask for that which is necessary to us at present.

§ 6. On the fifth petition

31. What do we ask in the fifth petition: And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us?

In the fifth petition, "And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us," we ask God to forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who have offended us.

32. Why are our sins called debts?

Our sins are called debts because for them we must make satisfaction to divine justice either in this life or in the next.

33. Can those who do not forgive their neighbor hope that God will forgive them?

Those who do not forgive their neighbor have no reason to hope that God will forgive them, all the more so because they condemn themselves, by asking God to forgive them as they forgive their neighbor.

§ 7. On the sixth petition

34. What do we ask in the sixth petition: And lead us not into temptation?

In the sixth petition, "And lead us not into temptation," we ask God to free us from temptations, either by not allowing us to be tempted, or by giving us the grace not to be overcome.

35. What are temptations?

Temptations are an incitement to sin which comes to us from the devil, from the wicked, or from our passions.

36. Is it a sin to have temptations?

No, it is not a sin to have temptations, but it is a sin to consent to them, or voluntarily to expose oneself to the danger of consenting to them.

37. Why does God permit us to be tempted?

God permits us to be tempted to test our fidelity, to increase our virtues, and to add to our merits.

38. What must we do to avoid temptations?

To avoid temptations we must flee dangerous occasions, guard our senses, frequently receive the holy sacraments, and make use of prayer.

§ 8. On the seventh petition

39. What do we ask in the seventh petition: But deliver us from evil?

In the seventh petition, "But deliver us from evil," we ask God to deliver us from past, present, and future evils, and especially from the supreme evil, which is sin, and from eternal damnation, which is its punishment.

40. Why do we say "deliver us from evil," and not "from evils"?

We say "deliver us from evil," and not "from evils," because we must not desire to be exempt from all the evils of this life, but only from those which are not expedient for our soul; and therefore we ask for deliverance from evil in general, that is, from all that God sees to be evil for us.

41. Is it not lawful to ask for deliverance from some particular evil, for example from an illness?

Yes, it is lawful to ask for deliverance from some particular evil, but always submitting to the will of God, who may also have ordained that tribulation for the good of our soul.

42. What benefit do we draw from the tribulations God sends us?

Tribulations benefit us by helping us do penance for our faults, exercise the virtues, and above all imitate Jesus Christ our head, to whom it is just that we conform ourselves in sufferings, if we wish to share in His glory.

43. What does Amen at the end of the Pater mean?

Amen means: so be it, so I desire, so I pray to the Lord, and so I hope.

44. To obtain the graces asked in the Pater Noster, is it enough to recite it in any manner whatever?

To obtain the graces asked in the Pater Noster, it must be recited without haste, with attention, and accompanied by the heart.

45. When must we say the Pater?

We must say the Pater every day, because every day we need the help of God.