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When his disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, what Jesus gave the disciples was not just a single prayer but a set of guidelines for prayer itself. He was teaching them – and us – how to live a life of prayer formed by faith, hope and love, aligned with God’s desire for our own flourishing and a world full of justice.
In addition to reading the Scripture texts, material will be provided (audio recordings, readings and questions) to help participants reflect on the meaning and significance of the Lord’s Prayer.
Week 1 - Exploring the Our Father
The Our Father sums up the way Jesus understood his own vocation and mission and invited his followers to share it. This session looks at the outline and structure of the Our Father and compares and contrasts it with what we know about prayer in first century Judaism.
Week 2 - Hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done
In Matthew’s version the Our Father is clearly divided into two parts. The first part is concerned with the name, reign and will of God. We could say it is about God’s concerns. In this session we focus on the first three petitions: Hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done.
Week 3 - Give us this day our daily bread
The Our Father is primarily a prayer for Jesus’ group of disciples. This is especially clear in the fourth petition, the plea for daily bread. In this session we focus on what is meant by “daily bread”. This petition may also shed light on the original context of the Our Father.
Week 4 - Forgive us our trespasses
At the very heart of Jesus’ teaching is forgiveness. This is how we are drawn into the kingdom of God and into the power of Jesus – he forgives our sins. In this petition we pray for the grace to forgive others as we have been forgiven - one of the most challenging elements in the whole spiritual life.
Week 5 - Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil
“Lead us not into temptation” or perhaps better “Do not bring us to the time of trial” reflects the classic request of a trusting pilgrim to a respected guide. The petition for protection from evil, or the evil one, is a cry from the heart in every age.
Introductory Reading
The text of the Our Father in the Gospel of Matthew & Luke
For those who wish to read further:
Jose Pagola, “The Prayer of Jesus”. Jesus, An Historical Approximation, Third Printing, Convivium Press, Miami, Florida, 2012, 313-316.
Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI, “The Lord’s Prayer”. Jesus of Nazareth, From the Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration, Bloomsbury, London 2007,128-168.
Brian Purfield, Jewish Prayer at the Time of Jesus, Notes for Private Use, London Jesuit Centre, May 2025.
Questions for reflection
1. Why did you choose to sign up for this course?
2. What do you hope to gain from your study of &reflection on the Our Father?
3. How did I learn how to pray?
4. When did I learn to pray the Our Father? Who taught me?
5. What phrase in the Lord’s Prayer resonates most with you?
Week 1
Brian is a tutor in the theology stream. Originally from Birmingham, Brian studied philosophy and theology at the Gregorian University, Rome and later gained a Masters Degree in Franciscan Studies from St. Bonaventure’s University, New York. He has given retreats and courses throughout the UK and Ireland, North America, the Far East and Australia. He taught at the International Franciscan Study, Canterbury and at Campion House, Osterley before joining the Mount Street Jesuit Team when it began in 2004. Brian also taught at Heythrop College on the Foundation Degree in Pastoral Ministry. His particular interest is in opening up the Scriptures to people, young and old, at a level that they can understand and seek to apply to their daily lives. Brian is married to Deborah who works for CAFOD. They live in Buckinghamshire.
