Daily Gospel Reflection for February 28, 2023

Join us as we reflect, ponder, and pray together inspired by today's Gospel.

Today's Gospel: Matthew 6:7-15

Today’s Gospel gives us the Our Father. Entire books have been written on this prayer, including ones by Pope Francis and Dr. Scott Hahn, that break this prayer down phrase by phrase and word by word. However, as I reflected on this short Gospel passage, I was struck by the first verse: “In prayer, do not babble like the pagans, who think they will be heard because of their many words.”

I found this line to be quite comforting. Jesus tells His followers that they do not need “many words” because our Father in heaven knows what we need before we ask. This means that even in those moments when I can’t pray a whole Rosary or sit in quiet contemplation, I can still offer a quick prayer to God, and He will know all that is in my heart.

Over the course of the last few years, I’ve been leading retreats for teachers and offering up ways for them to pray during the busy school day. Teachers, like all you busy moms out there, are busy caring for children and don’t have loads of time for quiet contemplation. Lunch breaks disappear quickly as we run to the bathroom, make photocopies, return a parent email or phone call, and grab a quick bite.

The good news is that Jesus is telling us we can pray quickly and simply. Whether you’re offering up a quick Our Father in the carpool line or reciting the Jesus prayer (“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner”) during those moments when you're about to lose your patience with the children, it can suffice. God will know what you need in that moment. There’s no need to get fancy with your prayer.

Ponder:

How can you make short prayers a part of your busy day?

Pray:

Lord, help me to pray always and in all ways, trusting that You know what I need before I even say it.

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Don’t have time to pray? Prayer doesn’t need to be long or fancy. #DailyGospel

Copyright 2023 Amy J. Cattapan