It is called the most complete prayer ever. The Our Father is one we pray often. But how often do with really think about the words we are saying. Do we pray the Our Father thinking only of ourselves? Do we pray for God’s will to be done when we hold back from doing God’s will? Do we seek forgiveness without forgiving? Today we are given the time to really consider the prayer and what we are saying.
Isaiah, often the mouthpiece for God, was a man of innovation. He challenged people to think in a new way about an old covenant. Today he takes the concept of fasting, and builds on the connection between fasting for God, and the attention service God’s people demands. Jesus is asked about why his disciples do not fast. He essentially says there is a right time for everything. Knowing how to respond to God by reading the signs of the times and the signs of our faith, now is the time to fast.
