Pope Francis: the word ‘Father’ is the ‘secret of Jesus’ prayer’
July 25, 2016
Reflecting on the day’s Gospel reading (Lk. 11:1-13) during his July 24 Angelus address, Pope Francis said that “this word [Father] is the secret of Jesus’ prayer.”
“It is the key that he himself gives us so that we can also enter into this relationship of trusting dialogue with the Father, who has accompanied and sustained his life,” the Pope told the crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square, as he commented briefly on the petitions of the Lord’s Prayer.
“Jesus’ teaching on prayer continues with two parables, in which he takes as a model the attitude of a friend toward another friend, and of a father toward his son,” Pope Francis continued. “Both aim to teach us to have complete trust in God, who is Father. He knows better than us our own needs, but he wants us to present them with audacity and insistence, because this is our way of participating in his work of salvation.”
Commenting on Christ’s words “how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him,” the Pope added:
The Holy Spirit! We need to ask that the Holy Spirit comes to us. But, what is the use of the Holy Spirit? To live well, to live with wisdom, with love, doing the will of God. How beautiful a prayer it would be if in this week, each one of us would ask the Father, “Father, give me the Holy Spirit.”
The Virgin Mary shows us this with her existence, wholly animated by the Spirit of God. She helps us to pray to the Father united to Jesus, so as to live not in a worldly way, but in accord with the Gospel, guided by the Holy Spirit.
Following the recitation of the Angelus, the Pope expressed sorrow over recent incidents of terrorism and requested prayers for his upcoming journey to Poland for World Youth Day.
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Further information:
- Angelus Domini 2016.07.24 (YouTube Vatican)
- Le parole del Papa alla recita dell’Angelus (Holy See Press Office)
- Angelus Text: On the Key to Christian Prayer (Zenit)
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