St. Thomas Aquinas Asks A Good Question: Shouldn't The Our Father Be Asking For God's Main Gift, The Holy Ghost?

The Our Father isn't just a prayer we say for penace after confession. It has 7 petitions that we should be aware of so we don't "babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words (Matthew 6:7). The Catholic Encyclopedia also states that "Without some measure of this interior adoration 'in spirit and in truth' it is evident that any outward show of divine worship would be mere pantomime and falsehood" (in the section concerning Adoration). We can't fool the Almighty. He know what we truly believe and intend with our prayer. Let us join our beliefs and intentions to our Savior, who gave us the prayer.

St. Thomas Aquinas concisely enumerates the seven petitions as follows:

1. Willing God's glory.

2. That we come to the glory of His kingdom.

3. We merit beatitude by obeying God.

4. Aid in helping us merit it: Eucharist (in which all the other sacraments are contained) and/or bodily nourishment [The Roman Catechism also adds the spiritual food of wisdom and instruction].

5. Removal of the obstacle of sin by God's forgiveness.

6. Removal of the obstacle of temptation whicih hinders us from keeping God's will.

7. Removal of the obstacle of penal suffering.

When it comes to asking for the Holy Ghost with the Our Father, we can look to St. Augustine, who adapts the seven petitions to the gifts and beatitudes (De Serm. Dom. in Monte ii, 11).

He says:

1. "If it is Fear of God whereby blessed are the poor in spirit, let us ask that God's name be hallowed among men with a chaste fear.

2. If it is Piety whereby blessed are the meek, let us ask that His kingdom may come, so that we become meek and no longer resist Him.

3. If it is Knowledge whereby blessed are they that mourn, let us pray that His will be done, for thus we shall mourn no more.

4. If it is Fortitude whereby blessed ere they that hunger, let us pray that our daily bread be given to us.

5. If it is Counsel whereby blessed are the merciful, let us forgive the trespasses of others that our own may be forgiven.

6. If it is Understanding whereby blessed are the pure in heart, let us pray lest we have a double heart by seeking after worldly things which ere the occasion of our temptations.

7. If it is Wisdom whereby blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God, let us pray to be delivered from evil: for if we be delivered we shall by that very fact become the free children of God."

There may be much more found in the Our Father since St. Teresa De Avila once said that she could spend hours meditating on it. I have always wanted to say something about making sure we mean what we pray, but I wasn't sure how. A red flag was raised when a kid asked me during a reconciliation retreat, "Why do we have to say the act of contrition?" I told her that we aren't just saying it, we have to mean what we say. If you say you will avoid the near-occasion of sin, then you need to mean it and do so. Recently, I applied this same principle to the Hail Mary. If I say that she is blessed among all women, then I need to stop bending over backwards to impress some girl I find attractive.

Anyway, I'm writing with the time I have off work due to illness. Please keep me in your prayers. God bless!