Tuesday of the 1st week of Lent
Gospel: Matthew 6:7-15In today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches us the prayer of the “Our Father” and places it between two profound attitudes of the heart. First, He reminds us that our Father already knows what we need before we ask Him; prayer, therefore, is not about informing God, but about entrusting ourselves to His loving providence. It is an act of filial trust. Second, Jesus immediately links this prayer to forgiveness: “If you forgive others… your heavenly Father will forgive you.” Thus, the “Our Father” stands between confidence and mercy. We approach a Father who knows and cares for us, yet we cannot remain in His presence with a closed or resentful heart. During Lent, this Gospel invites us to pray not mechanically, but relationally, trusting deeply in the Father’s knowledge of us and allowing His forgiveness to flow through us toward others. Let’s reflect: Lent is trusting the Father who already knows our needs while allowing His forgiveness to pass through us toward others.
Don Giorgio