Our Father!

Tuesday, February 24, 2026

Is 55:10-11; Mt 6:7-15

Today’s Gospel highlights prayer as a filial relationship with God. 

While teaching his disciples how to pray, Jesus cautions them about babbling in the name of prayer. Why would Jesus ask his disciples to refrain from thinking that babbling meant prayer?

There are two reasons why Jesus does not want his disciples to babble in the name of prayer. At first, babbling meant uttering words eloquently in succession. In other words, babbling relied more on one’s expertise and competence in uttering words in a tirelessly repetitious manner, though it made no sense many times. Put differently, babbling reduced prayer to a verbal skill set rather than an emotional and spiritual connection with God. Secondly, such prayer that concentrated on verbal excellence even ousted God because the person praying often wanted to shine more brightly than the God who was addressed to in the prayer. If a prayer was so self-centered even as to eliminate God, we may imagine that it would hardly have any place for other humans. Such prayer, at best, promoted competition in the name of God and made some people superiors while profiling others as inferiors. This was the danger that lurked behind babbling. 

In total contrast, Jesus teaches his disciples a simple prayer that is more personal and affectionate in tone. Again, there are two reasons why Jesus wishes his disciples to call God Father. At first, the prayer is very personal. When the people of his time only addressed God in impersonal terms, Jesus presented God as a Fatherly figure. When those who pray call God ‘Father,’ the practical implications of such invocation are enormous. This takes us to the second concern. The prayer is familial in content. If we call God Father, then all of us become His loving children with nothing to divide us. Thus, we not only call God Father but also acknowledge the familial bond that we share with all of humanity. Thus, Jesus shows that a prayer can become a beautiful instrument to eliminate hatred and promote love. Moreover, Jesus has so employed the simple and ordinary words to convey the powerful meaning that when we pray, everything rests on God. 

Let us pray the Lord’s to remain united as the beloved children of the loving heavenly Father. 

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar