The “Our Father” is one of my two go-to prayers. That and the “Hail Mary” are the prayers I reach for while my plane is getting ready for take-off. When I hear a siren (that’s from my grade school days when the nuns would have us say a “Hail Mary” we heard a siren). When I am asked for a moment of silence in honor of someone. When I am feeling frustrated or annoyed and just need a moment and help to regain my equilibrium. They are among the first prayers I learned. I like the universality of the “Our Father” among Christian religious.

Today’s Gospel made me really think about those words that I recite almost without thinking whether in Mass or in my daily life. And Jesus reinforces what is probably the most difficult part of the “Our Father: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” God expects me to open my heart and forgive those who have hurt me. That part is harder. If I want God to forgive me, I have to extend that forgiveness to others. The temptation to hold on to anger, slights and feeling righteous is strong. That evil inside of me is what I need to be delivered from. This well-loved and oft-repeated prayer can help open my eyes and my heart to that forgiveness that I need to extend to my family, friends, colleagues, those I agree with and those I disagree with. I need to listen to what people are telling me and see beyond the words and actions. I can truly try to do God’s will on earth: To love my neighbor as myself. To forgive others as I would hope to be forgiven.