Interpretation of the Prayer “Our Father”

By  St. Ambrose of Milan

The holy apostles asked Christ: “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples” (Luke 11:1). Then the Lord gave them the Lord’s Prayer (Matt. 6:9-13).

Our Father

The first word – how sweet it is! Until now we did not dare to raise our eyes to heaven. We lowered our eyes to the earth and suddenly received the grace of Christ, and all our sins were forgiven. From the wicked servants we were, we became good “sons”. But let us not boast in our own efforts, but in the grace of Christ. “By grace you have been saved” – says the Apostle Paul (Eph. 2:5). To confess grace is not boasting, not arrogance, but faith. To proclaim what we have received is not pride, but devotion. Let us raise our eyes to the Father who regenerated us through the washing of Baptism, to the Father who “redeemed” us through his Son, and let us say: “Our Father.” This is a good and humble praise. As a child, we call him Father.

But let us not claim any special privilege. In the sole and absolute sense, he is the Father of Christ alone; for us he is the common Father. For he alone begot him, and created us. Let us also, by grace, say “Our Father,” that we may be worthy of being his children. Let us make our own the favor and honor which he bestowed on the Church.

Who art in heaven

What does “Who art in heaven” mean? Let us listen to the Scripture which says: “The Lord is high above all nations, his glory above the heavens” (Ps. 112:4). Everywhere we see it said that the Lord is in heaven, of which the psalmist says: “The heavens declare the glory of God” (Ps. 18:2).

Heaven is the place where sins have ceased. Heaven is the place where transgressions are punished. Heaven is the place where there is no deadly plague.

Hallowed be thy name

What does “hallowed be” mean? To pray that He who said: “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy” (Lev. 19:2) be sanctified? As if our words had the power to increase His holiness… No, it is not so. We pray that God be sanctified in us, within us. That His sanctifying work may reach us.

Thy Kingdom come

But is not the kingdom of God eternal? Jesus says: “For this I was born, and for this I came into the world” (John 18:37), and we say: “Your kingdom come,” as if it had not yet come. However, this request has another meaning. God comes when we accept His grace. He Himself confirms it: “The kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21).

Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth

By the Blood of Christ all things were reconciled – both in heaven and on earth. Heaven was sanctified, the devil was cast out. Now he is where the man he deceived is. “Thy will be done” means that peace may come on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread

Before the priest pronounces Christ’s words during the Divine Eucharist: “Take, eat… drink of it, all of you…”, what we offer is called bread. After the invocation, we no longer call it bread, but Body. But why do we say “our bread” in the Lord’s Prayer, which we recite after the consecration? But we add “our daily bread,” that is, the one that is necessary for the preservation of the essence. The essence of our soul is not sustained by the bread that enters our body, but by the heavenly bread.

However, we also call it “daily” (“ἐπιούσιο”), which also means “daily,” because in ancient times they called “the morrow” – “ἐπιοῦσαν ἡμέραν.” Thus, we express two meanings in one word.

But if this bread is both daily and necessary for the preservation of the essence, why do we wait until a whole year has passed to receive communion? Let us receive every day what we need every day. Let us live in such a way that we are worthy to receive communion every day. For he who is not worthy to receive it every day will not be worthy to receive it even once a year.

Job offered sacrifices for his sons every day, for fear that they might sin in word or in the thoughts of their hearts (Job 1:5). And we know that whenever the bloodless sacrifice is offered, the death, Resurrection, and Ascension of the Lord are proclaimed, forgiveness of sins is again given to us – and yet we do not receive the Bread of Life? He who has a wound seeks a remedy. Being enslaved by sin is a wound. And the heavenly remedy is the Most Pure Mysteries.

If we receive communion every day, then every day is “today” for us. If Christ is in us today, He renews and resurrects our today. How? The Father, Who is in heaven, says to Jesus: “You are my Son, today I have begotten you” (Ps. 2:7). “Today” is the day on which Christ is resurrected. There are yesterday and today. But the apostle says, “The night is far spent, the day is at hand” (Rom. 13:12). The night of “yesterday” is past. Today has come.

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors

What else is “debt” but sin? If we did not accept money from a foreign lender, we would not owe. Therefore, sin is imputed to us. We had our own wealth and should have remained rich. We were rich because we were created “in the image and likeness of God” (Gen. 1:26-27). But we lost what we had – humility, when in our pride we began to demand. We lost our wealth. We became naked, like Adam. We took a loan from the devil that we did not need. And so – we, who were free “in Christ”, became prisoners of the devil. The enemy held the debt note. But the Lord nailed it to the Cross and blotted it out with His Blood (Col. 2:14-15). He blotted out the debt and set us free. Therefore, it is of particular importance that we say: “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”

Let us pay attention: “Forgive us… as we also have forgiven…” If we forgive, then we fulfill the necessary condition to be forgiven. If we do not forgive, then how do we want, how do we expect God to forgive us?

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one

Let us pay attention to this: “Lead us not” – do not let us fall into a temptation that we cannot resist. It is not said: “Lead us not into temptation,” but like athletes who want to compete, we ask for the strength to resist the enemy, that is, sin. The Lord, who bore our sins and forgave our transgressions, is able to protect us and guard us from the wiles of the devil who attacks us, so that the enemy, who constantly breeds evil, may not overpower us. He who trusts in God does not fear the devil. For: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31). To Him belong honor and glory, now and always and forever and ever.

Amen.

Source in Greek: Κατηθήσης τοῦ Ἁγίου Ἀμβροσίου, ἐπισκόπου Μεδιολάνων.

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