Catholic Men’s Daily Devotional and Bible Study – 27th Week in Ordinary time – Wednesday – Luke 11:1-4

Following His direction to Martha to seek Him as the one thing needed (Luke 10:38-42), the disciples come to Christ as He is in prayer and beg Him to teach them to pray. Luke offers a shortened version of the Our Father; Matthew (Matt 6:9-13) offers the version used in the Church.

Calling God “Father”, Christ reveals that men are to approach God as a loving “Father” and confirms the essential human need for paternity (the leadership of men as fathers) for protection, guidance and most of all, love. The Father’s name is to be held in the greatest esteem possible for a human, to be “hallowed”; Christ reinforces the importance of the Holy Name as in 2nd Commandment. Christ reasserts the reality of God’s Kingdom and that men are to pray for God’s Kingdom to be embraced by all.

Christ emphasizes man’s dependence on the Father in daily life. He teaches that men are totally dependent on God for daily bread, including bodily nourishment (i.e. every day food) and spiritual nourishment (i.e. the supernatural bread of the Eucharist). A stunning call to perfection, Christ reveals that God will forgive men for their trespasses in the same way that men forgive the trespasses of other men. Christ ends with the plea to God to not allow men to fall into temptation, a veiled reference to Satan’s action in the world: Matthew’s version ends with “and deliver us from [the] evil [One]”

Awed by Jesus Christ – Son of God, Christ authoritatively asserts that God is to be addressed as “Father” and with special divine omniscience reveals that men must forgive if they hope for God to forgive them.  Almighty King, Christ denounces false prayer, commands men to pray the Our Father, holds men to the incredible standard of forgiveness and warns of the Evil One (temptation by Satan).  Divine Priest, Christ gives the treasure of the Lord’s Prayer with its mysterious reference to the Eucharist.

Being a Heroic Catholic Man

1) The word Greek word, epiousios, translated as “daily” (“daily bread” in the Lord’s Prayer) has a mysterious and profound meaning. Epiousios was invented (it is not found elsewhere in ancient Greek) for a word that Christ used that reveals the Eucharist; various translations mysteriously point to the Eucharist include “future bread”, “manna”, “necessary” and “super-essential” (CCC 2837). When praying the Lord’s Prayer each day, recall the Eucharist when repeating “daily bread.”

2) Christ emphasizes prayer to the Father through His preaching and His own prayer life. Commit to grow in understanding of the Our Father (CCC 2759-2865) and to pray it daily (before your feet hit the floor in the morning, during the day and as the last words from your lips before sleeping).

3) As the world swirls downward away from God, growing numbers of men do not know how to pray. Realize that Christ’s disciples see Him praying and then desire to learn; He specifically gives a common prayer for common men to pray together. Commit now to lead others in the Our Father when suffering occurs (sickness, emotional turmoil, dying).

Spiritual Practices – Include in Today’s Prayers

Sacred Mystery of Rosary – The Glorious Mysteries

Daily Devotion – Saint Joseph

Virtue of the Day – Temperance

Corporal Work of Mercy – To visit the imprisoned

Spiritual Work of Mercy – To comfort the sorrowful