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TODAY’S WORD…

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Jesus concluded the prayer to the Father,

“…and lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from all evil.”

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– Matthew 6:13

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REFLECTION…

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Lead us not into temptation.

We do not ask to be totally exempt from temptation,

because human life is one continuous temptation.
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In this verse of the "Our Father"

we recognise that our human efforts alone

do not take us very far in trying to cope with temptation,

and that we need to have humble recourse to God,

to get the strength we need to overcome.

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St. John of Avila tells us:

"God is strong enough to free you from everything

and can do you more good than all the devils can do you harm.

All that God decrees is that you confide in Him, that you draw near Him,

that you trust Him and distrust yourself, and so be helped;

and with this help you will defeat whatever hell brings against you.

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Never lose hold of this firm hope […]

even if the demons are legion and all kinds of severe temptations harass you.

Lean upon Him, because if the Lord is not your support and your strength,

then you will fall and you will be afraid of everything."

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Deliver us from evil.

This phrase can be paraphrased as "Deliver us from the evil one",

that is to say, the devil,

who is in the last analysis the author of all evils to which we are prone.
We must always seek the Lord help

to free us from everything that our “enemy” does to bring us down.

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We cannot be free of the evil one,

unless God Himself frees us, in response to our prayers.

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PRAYER…

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Lord Jesus, thank You for having taught us a prayer

which is so perfect

that it helps me abandon myself humbly to the Almighty Father

and sums up everything I truly need to ask Him for.

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Thank you for a prayer

which also teaches me how to praise the Father,

and which fills me with great hope and consolation.

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Thank You Father in Heaven, for loving me so much.

I am determined to love You back in return.

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Amen.

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