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| Lord, teach us how to pray... J-J Tissot. |
I have included my own (fairly literal) English translation, together with a number of Scriptural references and notes.
The footnote references follow each section.
“Our Father”
He says “Father”
Note here two things, namely:
1. God is our Father
2. what we owe to Him because He is Father.
He is said to be our Father by reason of special creation, because He created us in His own image and likeness (which he did not imprint on the other inferior creatures). “ Is not he thy father, that hath possessed thee, and made thee, and created thee?[1] Similarly, in the way He governs creatures: for although He governs all things, He governs us as masters and other creatures as servants. “ But thy providence, O Father, governeth it:”[2] “and with great favour disposest of us:”[3] Again, by reason of adoption: “And if sons, heirs also;”[4] ”For you have not received the spirit of bondage again in fear; but you have received the spirit of adoption of sons, whereby we cry: Abba (Father).”[5]
Dicit ergo, pater. Nota hic duo, quomodo scilicet pater sit, et quid debemus ei, quia pater est. Dicitur autem pater ratione specialis creationis, quia creavit nos ad imaginem et similitudinem suam quam aliis creaturis inferioribus non impressit. Deut. XXXII, 6: ipse est pater tuus, qui fecit et creavit te. Item ratione gubernationis: quanquam enim omnia gubernet, nos tamen gubernat ut dominos, alia ut servos. Sap. XIV, 3: tua, pater, providentia cuncta gubernat; et ibid. XII, 18: et cum magna reverentia disponis nos. Item ratione adoptionis: quia aliis creaturis dedit quasi munuscula, nobis autem hereditatem, et hoc quia filii; sed si filii et heredes. Apostolus, Rom. VIII, 15: non accepistis spiritum servitutis in timore, sed spiritum adoptionis filiorum, in quo clamamus, abba, pater.
[1] Is this the return thou makest to the Lord, O foolish and senseless people? Is not he thy father, that hath possessed thee, and made thee, and created thee? Haeccine reddis Domino, popule stulte et insipiens? numquid non ipse est pater tuus, qui possedit te, et fecit, et creavit te? [Deut. xxxii. 6]
[2] But thy providence, O Father, governeth it: for thou hast made a way even in the sea, and a most sure path among the waves, Tua autem, Pater, providentia gubernat : quoniam dedisti et in mari viam, et inter fluctus semitam firmissimam, [Sap. xiv. 3]
[3] But thou being master of power, judgest with tranquillity; and with great favour disposest of us: for thy power is at hand when thou wilt. Tu autem dominator virtutis, cum tranquilitate judicas, et cum magna reverentia disponis nos : subest enim tibi, cum volueris posse.[Sap. xii. 18]
[4] And if sons, heirs also; heirs indeed of God, and joint heirs with Christ: yet so, if we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified with him. Si autem filii, et haeredes : haeredes, quidem Dei, cohaeredes autem Christi : si tamen compatimur ut et conglorificemur. [Rom. viii. 17]
[5] For you have not received the spirit of bondage again in fear; but you have received the spirit of adoption of sons, whereby we cry: Abba (Father). Non enim accepistis spiritum servitutis iterum in timore, sed accepistis spiritum adoptionis filiorum, in quo clamamus : Abba ( Pater).[Rom. viii. 15]
We owe four things to Him:
Firstly, honour: “If then I be a father, where is my honour?”[6] Which consists in three things:
1. in giving of praise unto God; “The sacrifice of praise shall glorify me:”[7] which must be from only the mouth but also from the heart: “This people ... with their lips glorify me, but their heart is far from me.”[8]
2. in purity of body towards oneself; “Glorify and bear God in your body.”[9]
3. in equitable judgement towards one’s neighbour: “ And the king's honour loveth judgment.”[10]
Debemus autem nos ei quatuor. Primo honorem. Mal. I, 6: si ego pater, ubi est honor meus?: Qui consistit in tribus. In laudis datione quoad Deum. Psal. XLIX, 23: sacrificium laudis honorificabit me: quae non solum debet esse in ore, sed etiam in corde. Isai. XXIX, 13: populus hic labiis me honorat; cor autem eorum longe est a me. In corporis puritate quoad seipsum. I Cor. VI, 20: glorificate et portate Deum in corpore vestro. In iudicii aequitate quoad proximum. Psal. XCVIII, 4: honor regis iudicium diligit.
[6] The son honoureth the father, and the servant his master: if then I be a father, where is my honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts. Filius honorat patrem, et servus dominum suum. Si ergo pater ego sum, ubi est honor meus? et si Dominus ego sum, ubi est timor meus? dicit Dominus exercituum. Ad vos, o sacerdotes, qui despicitis nomen meum, et dixistis : In quo despeximus nomen tuum?[Mal, i. 6]
[7] The sacrifice of praise shall glorify me: and there is the way by which I will shew him the salvation of God. Sacrificium laudis honorificabit me; et illic iter quo ostendam illi salutare Dei. [Ps. xlix. 23]
[8] And the Lord said: Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips glorify me, but their heart is far from me, and they have feared me with the commandment and doctrines of men: Et dixit Dominus : Eo quod appropinquat populus iste ore suo, et labiis suis glorificat me, cor autem ejus longe est a me, et timuerunt me mandato hominum et doctrinis, [Isa. Xxix. 13]
[9] For you are bought with a great price. Glorify and bear God in your body. Empti enim estis pretio magno. Glorificate, et portate Deum in corpore vestro. [I Cor. vi. 20]
[10] And the king's honour loveth judgment. Thou hast prepared directions: thou hast done judgment and justice in Jacob. et honor regis judicium diligit. Tu parasti directiones; judicium et justitiam in Jacob tu fecisti. [Ps. Xcviii. 4]
Secondly, we owe Him imitation, because He is the Father. “ Thou shalt call me father and shalt not cease to walk after me.”[11] Which is achieved in three ways:
1. in love: “Be ye therefore followers of God, as most dear children; and walk in love,” and this must be from the heart. [12]
2. in mercy: for love must be with mercy: “ Be ye therefore merciful,”[13] and this must be in deed.
3. in perfection: because love and mercy must be perfect: “Be you therefore perfect, as also your heavenly Father is perfect.”[14]
Secundo debemus ei imitationem, quia pater est. Ier. III, 19: patrem vocabis me, et post me ingredi non cessabis: quae perficitur in tribus. In dilectione. Ephes. V, 1: estote imitatores Dei, sicut filii carissimi, et ambulate in dilectione: et hoc oportet esse in corde. In miseratione. Dilectio enim debet esse cum miseratione. Luc. VI, 36: estote ergo misericordes: et hoc debet esse in opere. In perfectione. Quia dilectio et miseratio debet esse perfecta. Matth. V, 48: estote perfecti, sicut et pater vester caelestis perfectus est.
[11] But I said: How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a lovely land, the goodly inheritance of the armies of the Gentiles? And I said: Thou shalt call me father and shalt not cease to walk after me. Ego autem dixi : Quomodo ponam te in filios, et tribuam tibi terram desiderabilem, haereditatem praeclaram exercituum gentium? Et dixi : Patrem vocabis me, et post me ingredi non cessabis. [Jer. iii. 19]
[12] Be ye therefore followers of God, as most dear children; Estote ergo imitatores Dei, sicut filii carissimi, And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath delivered himself for us, an oblation and a sacrifice to God for an odour of sweetness. et ambulate in dilectione, sicut et Christus dilexit nos, et tradidit semetipsum pro nobis, oblationem et hostiam Deo in odorem suavitatis. [Eph. v. 1, 2]
[13] Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Estote ergo misericordes sicut et Pater vester misericors est. [Luc. vi. 36]
[14] Be you therefore perfect, as also your heavenly Father is perfect. Estote ergo vos perfecti, sicut et Pater vester caelestis perfectus est. [Matt. v. 48]
Thirdly, we owe Him obedience: “Shall we not much more obey the Father of spirits?[15] And this for three reasons:
1. Firstly, because of lordship: for He is the Lord: “All things that the Lord hath spoken we will do, we will be obedient.”[16]
2. Secondly, because of His example: for the true Son of God was made obedient to the father unto death.[17]
3. Thirdly, because of God’s favour: “Before the Lord Who chose me...I will play.”[18]
Fourthly, we owe Him patience in chastisements: “My son, reject not the correction of the Lord: and do not faint when thou art chastised by him: For whom the Lord loveth, he chastiseth: and as a father in the son he pleaseth himself.” [19]
Tertio debemus ei obedientiam. Hebr. XII, 9: multo magis obtemperabimus patri spirituum. Et hoc propter tria. Primo propter dominium: ipse enim est dominus. Exod. XXIV, 7: omnia quae locutus est dominus, faciemus, et erimus obedientes. Secundo propter exemplum: quia verus filius factus est patri obediens usque ad mortem, ut dicitur Philip. II. Tertio propter commodum: II Reg. VI, 21: ludam ante dominum qui elegit me.
Quarto debemus ei patientiam in castigationibus. Prov. III, 11-12: disciplinam domini, fili mi, ne abiicias, nec deficies, cum ab eo corriperis. Quem enim diligit dominus, corripit, et quasi pater in filio complacet sibi.
[15] Moreover we have had fathers of our flesh, for instructors, and we reverenced them: shall we not much more obey the Father of spirits, and live? Deinde patres quidem carnis nostrae, eruditores habuimus, et reverebamur eos, non multo magis obtemperabimus Patri spirituum, et vivemus? [Hebr. Xii. 9]
[16] And taking the book of the covenant, he read it in the hearing of the people: and they said: All things that the Lord hath spoken we will do, we will be obedient. Assumensque volumen foederis, legit audiente populo : qui dixerunt : Omnia quae locutus est Dominus, faciemus, et erimus obedientes. [Exod. Xxiv. 7]
[17] He humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross. Humiliavit semetipsum factus obediens usque ad mortem, mortem autem crucis. [Phil. ii. 8]
[18] And David said to Michol: Before the Lord, who chose me rather than thy father, and than all his house, and commanded me to be ruler over the people of the Lord in Israel, Dixitque David ad Michol : Ante Dominum, qui elegit me potius quam patrem tuum, et quam omnem domum ejus, et praecepit mihi ut essem dux super populum Domini in Israel, I will both play and make myself meaner than I have done: and I will be little in my own eyes: and with the handmaid of whom thou speakest, I shall appear more glorious.et ludam, et vilior fiam plus quam factus sum : et ero humilis in oculis meis : et cum ancillis, de quibus locuta es, gloriosior apparebo. [II. Reg. vi. 21-2]
[19] My son, reject not the correction of the Lord: and do not faint when thou art chastised by him: Disciplinam Domini, fili mi, ne abjicias, nec deficias cum ab eo corriperis : For whom the Lord loveth, he chastiseth: and as a father in the son he pleaseth himself. quem enim diligit Dominus corripit, et quasi pater in filio complacet sibi.[Prov. iii. 11-12]“Our” Father
From this is shown that we owe two things to our neighbours:
1. Firstly, love; because they are our brothers, for all men are sons of God: “For he that loveth not his brother, whom he seeth, how can he love God, whom he seeth not?” [20]
2. Also reverence, for they are sons of God: “Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why then doth every one of us despise his brother...? [21] “With honour preventing [22] one another;” [23] and this because of the fruit, for “He became, to all that obey Him, the cause of eternal salvation.”[24]
Noster.
Ex hoc autem ostenditur quod duo debemus proximis. Primo amorem, quia fratres nostri sunt, nam omnes sunt filii Dei: I Ioan. IV, 20: qui non diligit fratrem suum quem videt; Deum, quem non videt, quomodo potest diligere?. Item reverentiam, quia filii Dei sunt. Mal. II, 10: nunquid non pater unus omnium nostrum? Numquid non Deus unus creavit nos? Quare ergo despicit unusquisque vestrum fratrem suum? Rom. XII, 10: honore invicem praevenientes. Et hoc propter fructum, quia ipse factus est omnibus obtemperantibus sibi causa salutis aeternae, Hebr. V, 9.
[20] If any man say, I love God, and hateth his brother; he is a liar. For he that loveth not his brother, whom he seeth, how can he love God, whom he seeth not? Si quis dixerit, Quoniam diligo Deum, et fratrem suum oderit, mendax est. Qui enim non diligit fratrem suum quem vidit, Deum, quem non vidit, quomodo potest diligere? And this commandment we have from God, that he, who loveth God, love also his brother. Et hoc mandatum habemus a Deo : ut qui diligit Deum, diligat et fratrem suum. [I. Joan. iv. 20-1]
[21] Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why then doth every one of us despise his brother, violating the covenant of our fathers? Numquid non pater unus omnium nostrum? numquid non Deus unus creavit nos? quare ergo despicit unusquisque nostrum fratrem suum, violans pactum patrum nostrorum? [Mal. ii. 10]
[22] transitive. To appear in front of; to meet or receive with welcome, help. OED.
[23] Loving one another with the charity of brotherhood, with honour preventing one another. caritate fraternitatis invicem diligentes : honore invicem praevenientes : [Rom. xii. 10]
[24] And being consummated, he became, to all that obey him, the cause of eternal salvation. et consummatus, factus est omnibus obtemperantibus sibi, causa salutis aeternae,[Hebr. v. 9]
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