Thursday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
(Sirach 48:1-14; Matthew 6:7-15)
The words of the Our Father as presented in the official
U.S. Catholic translation and in today’s readings are anomalous. Its English is more Shakespearean than modern
where the rest of the translation uses more contemporary language. We say “offences” not “trespasses,” “holy”
and not “hallowed.” Updating the
language of the Our Father was tried in the 1970s but evidently did not meet
people’s needs.
Many Catholics pray the Lord’s Prayer several times daily. Those who attend Sunday Mass pray it at least
then. Its wording is so fixed in
people’s minds that changing it sounds cacophonous. Surely, however, preference should be given
to the translation that proves the most effective in having people practice
what they are praying.
Jesus takes time to emphasize the need to forgive others’
offenses in today’s gospel. We should be
always ready to pardon others when they ask our forgiveness. Indeed, we should be praying for them to do
so. We should also pray for the grace to
ask other’s pardon when we say or do to them something offensive.
