Understanding “Our Father”: Biblical Reflections on the Lord’s Prayer

by Scott Hahn

Publisher:

Emmaus Road

, 2002

Overview

The prayer at hand has been called many things: the Pater Noster, the Our Father, the Model Prayer, the Lord’s Prayer. In Understanding “Our Father,” Scott Hahn presents a unique meditation on this common prayer, leading readers to consider its wealth of meaning. Relying on the Fathers and Doctors of the Church as well as on sacred Scripture, Hahn takes each of the seven petitions of the Our Father individually and draws out the implications of the prayer given to us by Christ himself.

In the Logos edition, Understanding “Our Father” is enhanced by amazing functionality. Scripture citations link directly to English translations, and important terms link to dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a wealth of other resources in your digital library. Perform powerful searches to find exactly what you’re looking for. Take the discussion with you using tablet and mobile apps. With Logos Bible Software, the most efficient and comprehensive research tools are in one place, so you get the most out of your study.

Key Features

• Examines the entirety of the Lord’s Prayer
• Provides material well suited for meditation that enhances the readers walk with God
• Includes selections from four notable saints that supplement the first half of the volume

Contents

• Part I: Contemporary Reflections by Scott Hahn
  • A Gospel Prayer
  • Our Father
  • Our Father . . . in Heaven
  • Hallowed Be Thy Name
  • Thy Kingdom Come
  • Thy Will Be Done
  • On Earth as it Is in Heaven
  • Give Us this Day Our Daily Bread
  • Forgive Us . . . as We Forgive
  • Lead Us Not into Temptation
  • Temptation, Part II
  • Deliver Us from Evil
  • The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory
  • Last Words
• Part II: Wisdom from the Fathers of the Church
  • Saint Cyprian: Treatise on the Lord’s Prayer (selection)
  • Saint Cyril of Jerusalem: Mystagogic Catechesis V (selection)
  • Saint John Chrysostom: Homily XIX on the Gospel of Saint Matthew (selection)
  • Saint Augustine: Our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount (selection)

Top Highlights

“The Lord’s Prayer reflects Jesus’ deepest preoccupation on earth: talking with His Father. It moves smoothly from there to His second deepest preoccupation: making His Father our Father too, enabling us to share His intimate conversation, which is constant and habitual.” (Page 4)

“When Jesus teaches us to pray, ‘Hallowed be thy name’ (Mt. 6:9), He shows us that the name of God is consecrated. It is holy. God’s name is not merely transcendent and mysterious; it is intimate and personal and interpersonal. It is the basis for the covenant.” (Page 21)

“The Lord’s Prayer is one unified, compact, model prayer consisting of seven petitions, divisible into two parts: the first ‘God-ward,’ the second ‘us-ward.’” (Page 5)

“Unlike earthly fathers, He always has the best intentions for His children, and He always has the ability to carry them out.” (Page 14)

“When we pray, ‘Thy kingdom come,’ we ask for an ever-increasing manifestation of the glory of Jesus’ real presence. The Kingdom has come to us: in the past, in the Incarnation; in the present, in the Eucharist; and it will come to us in fullness in the future, in the unveiling of divine glory at Christ’s Second Coming.” (Pages 29–30)

Praise for the Print Edition

By blending his own scriptural insights on the Lord’s Prayer with the thoughts of four great Church Fathers, Professor Hahn writes a prescription for what ails many of our families—too little prayer. I urge husbands and wives to read and discuss this book and share its wisdom with their children by devotedly praying the Our Father as a family every day. Immeasurable blessings will follow.

—Charles J. Chaput, archbishop of Denver

With remarkable clarity, keen personal insight, and solid catechesis, Dr. Scott Hahn once more takes the reader into a critical element of the faith: the nature and importance of prayer. His personal meditations on the Lord’s Prayer, combined with theological reflections from four saints and Fathers of the Church, are refreshing to the soul—nearly as refreshing as prayer itself!

—Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, archbishop of New York

Scott Hahn, in the first part of this book, draws on the experience of his own journey of faith, which led him to the Catholic Church, and on the wisdom of the Church Fathers to throw light on the essential spirit of prayer found in the Our Father. The extracts from Saints Cyprian, Cyril of Jerusalem, John Chrysostom, and Augustine, which make up the second part of the book, are a precious source of insight into Christian prayer. I hope the book will be used by many families, for those who use it will find their life with God strengthened and enriched.

—Francis Cardinal George, archbishop of Chicago

This is a great book for all Catholics, but it is an essential book for Catholic fathers. The essence of restoring fatherhood is turning the hearts of fathers back to God the Father. Read this important book slowly and prayerfully. It will deepen your faith and transform your family life.

—Steve Wood, founder, St. Joseph’s Covenant Keepers

The indefatigable Dr. Hahn has come up with a miniature masterpiece, miniature in its winsome simplicity, a masterpiece in its insight and depth. It merits a myriad of readers—and a miniature doxology.

—Robert I. Bradley, advisor, Catholics United for Faith

Scott Hahn brings excitement and scholarship to his inspirational work on the Lord’s Prayer. Once again, Scott takes what is familiar to us and, with refreshing insight, inspires us to a renewed zeal.

—Michael Scanlan, chancellor, Franciscan University of Steubenville

Product Details

• Title: Understanding “Our Father”: Biblical Reflections on the Lord’s Prayer
• Author: Scott Hahn
• Publisher: Emmaus Road Publishing
• Publication Date: 2002
• Pages: 146

About Scott Hahn

Scott Hahn (born October 28, 1957) is a contemporary author, theologian, and Catholic apologist. His works include Rome Sweet Home and The Lamb’s Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth. He currently teaches at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, a Catholic university in the United States.