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Greek Orthodox Catechism
Constantine Callinicos, London, 1926
Part III. Ceremonial, 34. The Lord’s Prayer as a Model of Prayer
Analyse the Lord’s Prayer.
The Lord’s Prayer is composed of one address, six requests and one final doxology. The address is: “Our Father, Which art in Heaven”; the doxology: “For Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory for ever and ever”; and the supplications between those comprise six requests; of which the three first concern God, and the other three concern ourselves, in such a manner that only one request is dedicated to our bodily needs under the general and indefinite expression of our “daily bread,” while two are dedicated to the remission of our sins and our deliverance from evil; that is, to our spiritual needs. This quite short, but very fertile, Prayer ends with the Hebrew exclamation “Amen,” which means “So be it,” and “God grant,” and shows the desire of the worshipper that God should receive his humble entreaty.
Now interpret to me the Lord’s Prayer expanding its phraseology according to your conception of it.
Father! Creator and Provider, Who hast accorded to us both the natural and moral life, and preservest perpetually both our bodies and our spirits! Our Father, from Whom we are all alike descended, made in Thy likeness, and connected therefore by the bonds of brotherhood! Our Father, Who fillest everything with Thy presence, but chiefly art enthroned in Heaven, of which the infinite space is a mirror of Thine infinite Majesty, of which the mysterious depths are a mirror of Thy unsearchable Essence, and of which the unlimited extension above the earth is a mirror of Thy Care, which embraces every nation and every human being! Hallowed be Thy Name, which is in itself holy and all-holy, but which is ignored by the sinful world and does not receive that due honour which sanctifies those who honour it. And after Thy name is sanctified, and Thy existence becomes known, and our minds become familiar with Thy revelations given by the Prophets and Apostles, then, let Thy Kingdom come to free us from the yoke of the devil, and make us subjects of Thy Christ. And, when Thy Kingdom comes upon us, and captivates our souls by Thy all-saving grace, then, let Thy Will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven, that we may desire what Thou desirest, and thus may we carry out without murmuring, Thy commandments, as they are carried out by the holy Angels. The bread, which is necessary for the preservation of our material existence, and which is sufficient to satisfy our bodily needs, give us to-day; for what is the use of making provision for to-morrow, since we do not know whether we shall be alive tomorrow? Forgive us our trespasses, which we commit against Thy will, although we are Thy servants and Thou art our Supreme Master; and forgive us in the same manner as we forgive our fellow-servants, that trespass against us. And do not lead us into temptation; do not let us succumb to tribulations and burdens that are beyond our powers to endure; do not leave us without help in our struggle until the end; but deliver us from the Evil one, who is the primal cause of all material and moral evil. Fulfil, O Father, our humble petitions, because to Thee belongs the kingship of all, Thou hast the highest power, Thy glory will remain supreme throughout the ages, while the momentary triumph of evil will miserably pass away. Fulfil them, I pray, for against Thy strength nothing can prevail.
What rules do you deduce from the Lord’s Prayer with regard to the best way of praying?
The Lord’s Prayer begins with “Father,” as in a conversation between a child and its parent. Let the first characteristic, then, of our prayers be filial devotion. The Lord’s Prayer does not demand, what it demands, only on behalf of the individual person who prays, but on behalf of the whole membership of the congregation of the Church. Let our care, then, for our brethren be the second characteristic of our prayers. The Lord’s Prayer chiefly requests the things appertaining to God, touching very little on the material necessities, which it includes in the midst of supplications for spiritual assistance. Let the preference, then, for spiritual things over carnal, be the third characteristic of our prayers. The Lord’s Prayer puts as a sine quâ non condition for God’s forgiveness of our sins, the forgiveness by us of the sins of our brethren. Let a meek and peace-loving heart, then, be the fourth characteristic of our prayers. The Lord’s Prayer does not waste words, but contains a great deal of unfathomable meaning in a narrow compass. Let spiritual depth, then, which is altogether opposed to loquacity, be the fifth characteristic of our prayers; for, as the Apostle said, five words in the Church with understanding are better than ten thousand words in a tongue. (1 Cor. xiv. 19.)