Our Father prayer:

Published on July 30, 2019

Pope Francis has approved a change to the wording of the Lord’s Prayer after what was described as a ‘flawed translation’ from the original Greek wording. It comes two years after the Pontiff expressed his dislike of the phrase “Lead us not into temptation” in the Our Father prayer.

The Pope said that the version we currently know implies that God, not Satan, leads people into temptation. He has now approved an alteration to the line ‘lead us not into temptation’ to ‘do not let us fall into temptation’. The Italian version of the prayer has been updated but it’s not known when the English version will be changed. The Catholic Church in Ireland said it “will give close attention to the reported change” to the Lord’s Prayer, in consultation with bishops from other English-speaking countries.

Reflection

Jesus tells his disciples to look at him and touch him. Then he asks them for something to eat. What does Pope Francis say we can learn from these three actions of Jesus?
The second verb is to touch. By inviting the disciples to touch him, to verify that he is not a ghost—touch me!— Jesus indicates to them and to us that the relationship with him and with our brothers and sisters cannot remain “at a distance.” Christianity does not exist at a distance; Christianity does not exist only at the level of looking. Love requires looking and it also requires closeness; it requires contact, the sharing of life. The Good Samaritan did not limit himself to looking at that man whom he found half dead along the road: he stopped, he bent down, he treated his wounds, he touched him, he loaded him onto his mount and took him to the inn. And it is the same with Jesus himself: loving him means entering into a communion of life, a communion with him.
Being Christian is not first a doctrine or a moral ideal; it is a living relationship with him, with the Risen Lord: we look at him, we touch him, we are nourished by him and, transformed by his Love; we look at, touch and nourish others as brothers and sisters.
Pope Francis,