The Holy Qurbana, the supreme sacrament of the Church, the mystical body of Christ, encompasses the fullness of divine grace. The spirit of the Holy Qurbana can be encapsulated in the Lord’s Prayer, the essence of the Gospel (CCC 2761). The content of the Lord’s Prayer can be summed up in two words: the glory of God and the sanctification of humanity.

The Lord’s Prayer, as structured in the Syro-Malabar Liturgy, incorporates the proclamation of God’s supreme holiness from Isaiah 6:3 with the prayer found in the Gospels. In the Syro-Malabar Church’s Holy Quirbana, the Lord’s Prayer, with the Canon, is recited at the beginning of the liturgy and end of the Holy Qurbana, and the Lord’s Prayer without the Canon is recited before receiving the Holy Communion.

Reconciliation and unity are the foundational principles essential for the realization of God’s glory and human sanctification. It is to strengthen the relationship between humanity and God, and among humans themselves, that the incarnate Christ both strove and taught the Lord’s Prayer. While the term “Our Father in heaven” signifies the glorious and holy God, the term “Our” includes all of humanity. Calling God “Father” obligates us to live as His children, as taught by St. Cyprian. Moreover, St. John Chrysostom (CCC 671) reminds us that one with a cruel and inhumane heart cannot call the all-merciful God ‘Father’.

The first part of the Lord’s prayer directs us to the reality of God’s glory. The visible manifestation of His holiness can also be seen in the Canon of the Lord’s Prayer. Jesus teaches us to live so that others may see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven (Mat 5:16). Thus, the petition for God’s name to be hallowed is an invitation to be holy and blameless before Him (Eph 1:4).

The proclamation ‘The kingdom of heaven is near’, the Christ first announcement, points to the truth that the kingdom of heaven is the Christ Himself. The prayer ‘Your kingdom come’ calls for the arrival of the kingdom envisioned by Christ. ‘Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven’ is a plea intertwined with the coming of that kingdom. Therefore, sanctification and a life aligned with God’s will are essential conditions for prayer.

The second part of the Lord’s Prayer focuses on what is necessary for individual sanctification. Here too, every person is called to foster a communal spirit. This prayer expresses solidarity with the needs and sufferings of humanity. The imagery of global hunger compels the followers of Christ to fulfil their responsibilities towards their brethren, both in personal conduct and in their unity with the human family. The prayer for daily bread refers particularly to the Word of God received by faith and the Body of Christ received in the Holy Communion.

The prayer, ‘forgive us our debts and sins’, is a plea for mercy. If we do not forgive those who have wronged us, the flow of mercy will not reach our hearts. The subsequent part reminds us that where there is no reconciliation, where there is no unity, the remission of sins cannot occur. This can also be understood in connection with the reconciliation rite in the Holy Qurbana. ‘The Peace of the Heavenly Hosts’, recited before Psalm 51, is a prayer for establishing reconciliation in the world, the Church, and nations. It is an appeal to remove conflicts and wars and to achieve peace and harmony.

Following this is the Karozutha of Reconciliation, which can be seen as an expansion of the prayer ‘forgive us our debts and sins’. Here, too, there is a communal dimension as we pray, ‘O Lord, forgive the sins and transgressions of Your servants’. Similarly, it is a plea to remove strife, conflict, enmity, and hatred and to enable us, with unity and concord, to participate in the divine mysteries of Christ.

‘Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil’ is a petition made while keeping the entirety of sinful humanity in view, asking for purification in holiness. The concluding doxology, which proclaims God’s kingdom, power, and glory, seals the first three petitions.

In the Lord’s prayer, every individual prays in unity. For those who are baptized, it is impossible to pray to the Father without bringing before Him all those for whom He gave His beloved Son. Therefore, when the Lord’s Prayer is recited with sincerity, all divisions vanish, and reconciliation and unity with both God and humanity are realized.

Rev. Sr. Kochuthresia Kavunkal MTS