Matthew 6:9 — Community Reflections

MATTHEW 6:9 — KING JAMES VERSION 0

“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.”

Pray then like this: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. The Lord's Prayer begins with the address that reorients everything: Our Father — not my Father, communicating that the prayer is communal, and Father, communicating the intimacy of the relationship. The in heaven locates the Father without limiting him: he is transcendent (in heaven) and immanent (your Father). Hallowed be your name is the first petition: let your name be treated as holy, let your character be recognized and honored as it deserves. The Father's name being hallowed is the first priority of kingdom prayer — the child's first concern is the Father's honor. Isaiah 29:23 promises a day when the people will hallow the Holy One of Jacob.

Church Fathers on Matthew 6:9

Amongst His other saving instructions and divine lessons, wherewith He counsels believers, He has set forth for us a form of prayer in few words; thus giving us confidence that will be quickly granted, for which He would have us pray so shortly.
Gloss (Glossa Ordinaria) · medieval compilation

He who gave to us to live, taught us also to pray, to the end, that speaking to the Father in the prayer which the Son hath taught, we may receive a readier hearing. It is praying like friends and familiars to offer up to God of His own. Let the Father recognize the Son’s words when we offer up our prayer; and seeing we have Him when we sin for an Advocate with the Father, let us put forward the words of our Advocate, when as sinners we make petition for our offences.
Cyprian · 3rd century · Tr. vii, 1

Since in every entreaty we have first to propitiate the good favour of Him whom we entreat, and after that mention what we entreat for; and this we commonly do by saying something in praise of Him whom we entreat, and place it in the front of our petition; in this the Lord bids us say no more than only, 'Our Father which art in Heaven.'
Augustine · 4th century · Serm. in Mont., ii, 4

Read all 17 entries in the readerCatena Aurea · St. Thomas Aquinas, tr. J. H. Newman · public domain

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