a (b) As all the baptized have had called over them the name of the blessed Trinity, their great work is the sanctification of that name; whereby they are called. S. Paul rebukes those Christians who through their bad lives cause the holy name whereby they are called to be blasphemed among the Gentiles, b The name of God is hallowed (1) by praise offered by all His creatures. © "Young men and maidens, old men and children, praise the name of the Lord; for His name only is excellent, and His praise above heaven and earth."d (2) By meditation on His excellence, holiness, goodness, mercy. "The desire of our soul is to Thy name, and to the remembrance of Thee."e (3) By preaching God to the heathen. f "From the rising up of the sun even unto the going down of the same My name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall he offered unto My name, and a pure offering; for My name shall be great among the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts." (4) By a life of Eucharistic union with God.h (5) By self-devotion.i b Rom. ii. 24. c Ps. cxxxv. 1-3; cxlv. 21. Cant. i. 3. f Ps. xxii. 22. a Isa. lxiii. 19. d Ps. cxlviii. 12, 13. e Isa. xxvi. 8; * Mal. i. 11. b Ps. cxvi. 13. i Ps. liv. 6. rection. 2. Thy Kingdom come. E pray in this petition for the coming of (a) the kingdom of grace, (b) the kingdom of glory, (c) the kingdom of the resur а (a) By the kingdom of grace is meant that kingdom of God which is within us, which is not "meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." This is the kingdom to be sought first. с b (b) By the kingdom of glory is meant the fruition of that inheritance of which we were made heirs at Baptism,-the heavenly rest. (c) By the kingdom of the resurrection is meant the setting up of Christ's human kingdom in the new heavens and new earth, when "the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of the Lord, and of His Christ," when out of the Church shall be gathered all offences, and Christ having brought all into subjection shall deliver up the kingdom unto God even the Father. f e We pray therefore that God will perfect His Church, accomplish the number of His elect, and hasten His kingdom. a S. Luke xvii. 21. Rom. xiv. 17. e S. Matt. xiйí. 41. S. Matt. vi. 33. d Rev. xi. 15. f 1 Cor. xv. 24. 3. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven, FTER having prayed for the hastening of the kingdom, we pray for the means whereby it may be effected, and the only means "Not every is the fulfilment of the will of God. one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven."a Many who seek the kingdom do not seek it through obedience, and by subjugating their wills to the will of God. In this petition we ask that (1) from the fall of Adam to this day, the will of man which has rebelled against God, may be reduced into perfect submission to His will. Christ set us an example of yielding to the will of God. "In the volume of the book it is written of me that I should fulfil Thy will, O My God; I am content to do it." b We ask (2) that the service of men in fulfilling God's will may be as prompt and ready as that of the angels. " We ask (3) that the service of men in fulfilling God's will may be as exact and perfect as is that of the angels. We ask (4) that as in Heaven, Cherubim, Seraphim, Principalities, с a S. Matt, vii. 21. b Ps. xl. 7; vi. 38. S. Luke xxii. 42; S. John v. 30; Powers, &c., Martyrs, Confessors, Virgins, and all the celestial hierarchy fulfil their offices with glad will, so on earth, Bishops, Priests, Deacons, Choirs, Kings, magistrates and people may each in their several places fulfil exactly and with glad will the duties of that state of life to which God has called them, so that the earthly Jerusalem, like the heavenly one, may be at unity in itself. a 4. Give us this day our daily bread. HE last petition spoke of earthly obedience, and heavenly obedience, and this petition, of earthly food, and heavenly food. We ask for earthly food, that is the food which will sustain our bodies in health and vigour. We do not ask for luxuries, but for simple necessaries, consequently this petition is a caution against luxury and daintiness. b We ask for heavenly food, that is the food of our souls. This food is (1) the Word of God,° (2) the fulfilment of God's will, d (3) Righteousness, e (4) the Holy Eucharist. Our Lord bids us not labour "for the meat which perisheth, but for that a Ps. cxxii. 3. b Ps. civ. 28. c S. Matt. iv. 4. d S. John iv. 34. e S: Matt. v. 6. meat which endureth to everlasting life," and this meat is the Blessed Sacrament, for "My Flesh is meat indeed," said Jesus, Who describes Himself as the Bread of life; "I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever; and the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." c We ask for the restoration in our own branch of the Church of daily Communion as practised in the ancient Church. d 5. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. N this petition we ask (1) pardon for venial faults, (2) pardon for mortal sin, (3) charity to enable us to forgive others. 1. "If we say that we have no sin we deceive ourselves,' ‚"e for "a just man falleth seven times and riseth up again." ↑ For every idle word man will have to give account.g If sometimes we fall into light sins, such as using these "idle words," we are: a S. John vi. 27. b S. John vi. 55. c S. John vi. 51. d Acts ii. 46. e 1 S. John i. 8. f Prov. xxiv. 16. 8 S. Matt. xii. 36. |