# Our Father

> The prayer Jesus himself taught his disciples, prayed by the whole Church every day, at Mass and in personal prayer.

- Source: Light of Saints, “Our Father”, https://lightofsaints.com/en/prayers/our-father
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Published: 2026-10-30

## Meaning

We address God as Father, honor his name, and ask that his kingdom come and his will be done on earth (Mt 6:9-13). Then we ask for today's bread, for forgiveness as we also forgive, for strength not to fall into temptation, and to be delivered from evil.

## Prayer

_Traditional prayer of the Church._

### Our Father

Our Father who art 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,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

## Intentions & hopes

The faithful pray the Our Father for every need in life, from everyday necessities to the longing to forgive and to be forgiven. This prayer helps us entrust ourselves to God's will and to hope in his care as our Father.

## When & how to pray

- Pray it at Mass, during the Communion Rite, together with everyone present.
- Pray it each morning as you begin the day and each night before you sleep.
- Pray it before meals, for example with your family.
- In the Rosary, pray it once at the beginning of each mystery, before the ten Hail Marys.
- Say it slowly and attentively, standing or kneeling, aware that you are praying together with the whole Church.

## Origins

The Our Father is recorded in the New Testament in two versions: a longer version in the Gospel of Matthew, as part of the Sermon on the Mount, and a shorter version in the Gospel of Luke. In Luke's Gospel, the prayer is given after one of the disciples asks, "Lord, teach us to pray."

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that, in answer to the disciples' request (Lk 11:1), the Lord entrusted this fundamental Christian prayer to his disciples and to the Church. Its traditional name, "the Lord's Prayer" (oratio Dominica), means that this prayer was taught and given to us by the Lord Jesus himself.

The Didache (8:2) contains a form of the Our Father very close to the version in the Gospel of Matthew (Mt 6:9). The form in the Didache closes with words of praise for God's power and glory forever.

Tertullian, in his work on prayer (De oratione), calls the Our Father "a summary of the whole Gospel." The Catechism quotes this phrase. In the third century, writers in Egypt and North Africa, including Tertullian, described fixed times for daily prayer, and it was in this setting that the Our Father was prayed.

The Catechism calls the Our Father the quintessential prayer of the Church. In the Eucharistic liturgy it appears as the prayer of the whole Church, and there its meaning is fully revealed.

_Edition note: Text: The rights holder named on the source. Checked word for word against the source on 2026-10-30._

## Sources

- [Our Father - Prayers - Vatican News](https://www.vaticannews.va/en/prayers/our-father.html) — Text taken from www.vaticannews.va
- [Traditional Catholic Prayers in Latin](https://www.loyolapress.com/catholic-resources/prayer/traditional-catholic-prayers/prayers-every-catholic-should-know/traditional-catholic-prayers-in-latin/) — Latin text from www.loyolapress.com
- [Catechism of the Catholic Church (Lord's Prayer section, nos. 2761–2865)](https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/catechism/index.cfm?recnum=7108) — Published by Catholic Culture (text of the CCC)
- [The Catechism of the Catholic Church, numbers 2759 to 2865](https://www.catholicdoors.com/catechis/cat2759.htm) — Published by Catholic Doors (text of the CCC)
- [Compare Matthew 6:9 and Didache 8:2](https://intertextual.bible/text/matthew-6.9/didache-8.2) — Published by intertextual.bible
- [Evidence for the Origin of Daily Prayer](https://worshipedia.org/evidence-for-the-origin-of-daily-prayer/) — Published by Worshipedia