The Lord's Prayer with Meditations

From F. Christopher Mayer.

Our Father.

Lord of heaven and earth, who, with thy only-begotten Son, and the Holy Ghost, art of infinite majesty, power, wisdom, and goodness, and art, therefore, to be infinitely honoured and loved; fountain of all good, from whom are to be hoped for with undoubting confidence all the blessings of nature, grace, and glory.

1. Hallowed be thy name.

Mayest thou be sanctified, loved, and glorified by me, and by all men, in all thy perfections of power, wisdom, goodness, mercy, and justice: in all thy judgments and statutes, as they relate to me, to all men, and to all things, in all the works of nature, grace, and glory; in all that thou permittest, in all thy blessings in every possible way, for thy own sake, without any return, infinitely above all things, now, always, and for ever and ever. Oh, that thou hadst always been thus glorified by me and by all men, and mightst ever in future be thus glorified and sanctified by us.

2. Thy kingdom come.

Oh, that thou mayest fully reign in me and in all men, by grace now, and by glory hereafter. Oh, that my soul may seek first the kingdom of God, and may mind and desire the things which are above, not those which are upon the earth. Oh, that, weary of its present exile, where sin reigns, where ambition, pride, &c., predominate, it may aspire incessantly to that blessed life, and the possession of an eternal kingdom. Oh, that it always had, and from this moment may perfectly do this, that so at last, with thee and with all the saints, I may reign for ever and ever!

3. Thy will be done.

May thy most holy will be done by me, and by all pilgrims upon earth, in a perfect performance of thy precepts, thy counsels, and thy whole will, simply for thy own sake, as exactly, readily, and perseveringly, every day and moment of our life, as it is done by the blessed who possess eternity in heaven, with the insatiable desire of pleasing thee according to thy will. Oh, that it had been ever, and may hereafter be, done by us all, as thou wouldst have it done, with all possible perfection, with understanding, affection, and effect.

4. Our daily bread.

All the aids necessary to body and soul, for obtaining grace, perseverance, and glory, of thy infinite goodness, vouchsafe mercifully to bestow upon us this day, and all the days of our life, as may be most for thy glory, according to thy will.

5. And forgive us.

Out of the infinite treasure of thy mercy, forgive us all the sins we have committed by thought, word, deed, and omission: all our ingratitude for thy many blessings; all the injuries we have inflicted on thee and our neighbours, as we too with our whole heart most fully forgive them all their offences; that, by being reconciled to our brethren, we may ourselves the more easily find grace in thy sight; but chiefly for the pure love of thee, who art infinitely to be loved with unwearied and constant efforts to the latest breath of our life.

6. And lead us not.

Let us never give way to any temptations of the world, the flesh, or the devil, but by thy power gloriously triumph over them all, now, always, and in the hour of death, that the increase of the glory of thy infinite power, wisdom, and goodness may the more clearly appear.

7. But deliver us.

Mercifully preserve and deliver us from all evils of body and soul, present and to come, as far as they may hinder or retard us in the attainment of perfection, perseverance, and salvation, and promotion of thy glory, that without impediment we may love and glorify thee more perfectly now, and more happily in eternity hereafter; and this not for our own benefit, so much as for the increase of thy glory.

Amen.

May what I ask be done, as thou wilt, when thou wilt, how thou wilt, through the bowels of thy mercy, the merits of thy Son, of his blessed Virgin Mother, and of all the saints. And oh, that all these holy desires might, if possible, be renewed by me and by all men, for the pure love of thee, most intensely, as is pleasing in thy sight, during every moment of this time of grace!