“Our Fa-der, who art in heaven,” his sweet little voice recites proudly. My son is learning this foundational Christian prayer, the one Jesus first taught us in Luke 11:1-4. “Give us this day, and our daily bread,” he continues each night, not realizing he has added a word. My heart melts and swells with joy at the purity of this.

Oh, that we, too, might pray the 'Our Father' with the heart of a child!

That this prayer of old might become fresh and new for us once again. That in the midst of these words we have prayed oh-so-many times, we might rediscover in their profound simplicity the keys to prayer. That our innate understanding of the spiritual might be restored to the way it once was, before the experiences of the world clouded our purity of vision and heart.

Pray with me, sisters:

God, how blessed we are to call You our Father. How blessed we are that You chose us, You called us into being, and You desire relationship with us. Lord, would You gift us with a deeper understanding of how beloved we are by You? You “give us this day” each day. Yes, today—this very moment—is a gift. Would You give me enough bread for today, Lord? Sustain me today, and grant me the grace to lay down my worries about tomorrow. May I trust You enough to live fully in the present moment. Help me to sincerely forgive as Your Son taught us. I want to know, serve, and love You more, precious Lord.

Increase my docility to Your Spirit, God, that You might continue to teach me to pray.

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This beloved pontiff singing the 'Our Father' is stirring.

Elise Howe is a wife, mother, vocal artist, teacher, and writer. A lover of authentic beauty, Elise is most joyful when creating with the inspiration of the Divine Artist. A born-and-raised Midwestern gal, she happily resides in Michigan after several years "living the dream" in New York City. Elise has a heart for ministry, dark chocolate (but not too dark) and coffee with a generous amount of cream + sugar. She is a contributing author to our Works of Mercy Study: Misericordia and to our Advent devotional book, All the Generations. Find out more about her here.