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Objection 1: It would seem that the seven petitions of the Lord's
Prayer are not fittingly assigned. It is useless to ask for that to
be hallowed which is always holy. But the name of God is always
holy, according to Lk. 1:49, "Holy is His name." Again,
His kingdom is everlasting, according to Ps. 144:13, "Thy
kingdom is a kingdom of all ages." Again, God's will is always
fulfilled, according to Isa 46:10, "All My will shall be
done." Therefore it is useless to ask for "the name of God to be
hallowed," for "His kingdom to come," and for "His will to be
done."
Objection 2: Further, one must withdraw from evil before attaining
good. Therefore it seems unfitting for the petitions relating to the
attainment of good to be set forth before those relating to the removal
of evil.
Objection 3: Further, one asks for a thing that it may be given to
one. Now the chief gift of God is the Holy Ghost, and those gifts
that we receive through Him. Therefore the petitions seem to be
unfittingly assigned, since they do not correspond to the gifts of the
Holy Ghost.
Objection 4: Further, according to Luke, only five petitions are
mentioned in the Lord's Prayer, as appears from the eleventh
chapter. Therefore it was superfluous for Matthew to mention seven.
Objection 5: Further, it seems useless to seek to win the
benevolence of one who forestalls us by his benevolence. Now God
forestalls us by His benevolence, since "He first hath loved us" (
1 Jn. 4:19). Therefore it is useless to preface the petitions
with the words our "Father Who art in heaven," which seem to
indicate a desire to win God's benevolence.
On the contrary, The authority of Christ, who composed this
prayer, suffices.
I answer that, The Lord's Prayer is most perfect, because, as
Augustine says (ad Probam Ep. cxxx, 12), "if we pray rightly
and fittingly, we can say nothing else but what is contained in this
prayer of our Lord." For since prayer interprets our desires, as it
were, before God, then alone is it right to ask for something in our
prayers when it is right that we should desire it. Now in the Lord's
Prayer not only do we ask for all that we may rightly desire, but also
in the order wherein we ought to desire them, so that this prayer not
only teaches us to ask, but also directs all our affections. Thus it
is evident that the first thing to be the object of our desire is the
end, and afterwards whatever is directed to the end. Now our end is
God towards Whom our affections tend in two ways: first, by our
willing the glory of God, secondly, by willing to enjoy His glory.
The first belongs to the love whereby we love God in Himself, while
the second belongs to the love whereby we love ourselves in God.
Wherefore the first petition is expressed thus: "Hallowed be Thy
name," and the second thus: "Thy kingdom come," by which we ask
to come to the glory of His kingdom.
To this same end a thing directs us in two ways: in one way, by its
very nature, in another way, accidentally. Of its very nature the
good which is useful for an end directs us to that end. Now a thing is
useful in two ways to that end which is beatitude: in one way,
directly and principally, according to the merit whereby we merit
beatitude by obeying God, and in this respect we ask: "Thy will be
done on earth as it is in heaven"; in another way instrumentally, and
as it were helping us to merit, and in this respect we say: "Give us
this day our daily bread," whether we understand this of the
sacramental Bread, the daily use of which is profitable to man, and
in which all the other sacraments are contained, or of the bread of the
body, so that it denotes all sufficiency of food, as Augustine says
(ad Probam, Ep. cxxx, 11), since the Eucharist is the chief
sacrament, and bread is the chief food: thus in the Gospel of
Matthew we read, "supersubstantial," i.e. "principal," as
Jerome expounds it.
We are directed to beatitude accidentally by the removal of obstacles.
Now there are three obstacles to our attainment of beatitude. First,
there is sin, which directly excludes a man from the kingdom,
according to 1 Cor. 6:9,10, "Neither fornicators, nor
idolaters, etc., shall possess the kingdom of God"; and to this
refer the words, "Forgive us our trespasses." Secondly, there is
temptation which hinders us from keeping God's will, and to this we
refer when we say: "And lead us not into temptation," whereby we do
not ask not to be tempted, but not to be conquered by temptation,
which is to be led into temptation. Thirdly, there is the present
penal state which is a kind of obstacle to a sufficiency of life, and
to this we refer in the words, "Deliver us from evil."
Reply to Objection 1: As Augustine says (De Serm. Dom. in
Monte ii, 5), when we say, "Hallowed be Thy name, we do not
mean that God's name is not holy, but we ask that men may treat it as
a holy thing," and this pertains to the diffusion of God's glory
among men. When we say, "Thy kingdom come, we do not imply that
God is not reigning now," but "we excite in ourselves the desire for
that kingdom, that it may come to us, and that we may reign
therein," as Augustine says (ad Probam, Ep. cxxx, 11). The
words, "Thy will be done rightly signify, 'May Thy commandments
be obeyed' on earth as in heaven, i.e. by men as well as by angels"
(De Serm. Dom. in Monte ii, 6). Hence these three petitions
will be perfectly fulfilled in the life to come; while the other four,
according to Augustine (Enchiridion cxv), belong to the needs of
the present life
Reply to Objection 2: Since prayer is the interpreter of desire,
the order of the petitions corresponds with the order, not of
execution, but of desire or intention, where the end precedes the
things that are directed to the end, and attainment of good precedes
removal of evil.
Reply to Objection 3: Augustine (De Serm. Dom. in Monte ii,
11) adapts the seven petitions to the gifts and beatitudes. He
says: "If it is fear God whereby blessed are the poor in spirit,
let us ask that God's name be hallowed among men with a chaste fear.
If it is piety whereby blessed are the meek, let us ask that His
kingdom may come, so that we become meek and no longer resist Him.
If it is knowledge whereby blessed are they that mourn, let us pray
that His will be done, for thus we shall mourn no more. If it is
fortitude whereby blessed ere they that hunger, let us pray that our
daily bread be given to us. If it is counsel whereby blessed are the
merciful, let us forgive the trespasses of others that our own may be
forgiven. If it is understanding whereby blessed are the pure in
heart, let us pray lest we have a double heart by seeking after worldly
things which ere the occasion of our temptations. If it is wisdom
whereby blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the
children of God, let us pray to be delivered from evil: for if we be
delivered we shall by that very fact become the free children of
God."
Reply to Objection 4: According to Augustine (Enchiridion
cxvi), "Luke included not seven but five petitions in the Lord's
Prayer, for by omitting it, he shows that the third petition is a
kind of repetition of the two that precede, and thus helps us to
understand it"; because, to wit, the will of God tends chiefly to
this---that we come to the knowledge of His holiness and to reign
together with Him. Again the last petition mentioned by Matthew,
"Deliver us from evil," is omitted by Luke, so that each one may
know himself to be delivered from evil if he be not led into
temptation.
Reply to Objection 5: Prayer is offered up to God, not that we
may bend Him, but that we may excite in ourselves the confidence to
ask: which confidence is excited in us chiefly by the consideration of
His charity in our regard, whereby he wills our good---wherefore we
say: "Our Father"; and of His excellence, whereby He is able to
fulfil it---wherefore we say: "Who art in heaven."
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