III. D'oraison — Le 44e dimanche
The Rule of Prayer
The Lord's Prayer serves as the essential rule and standard for all our petitions to God.
295. Minister: Are we allowed to ask for anything other than what has been recited? E: Although we're free to use other words and another form and manner, still no prayer will ever be pleasing to God that does not relate to this one as the one rule for praying well.
Glorifying God in All Things
We are called to honor God by acknowledging Him as the source of all good and by seeking His glory in every aspect of His works.
The fourth kind of true honor of God 296. M: It’s time to move to the fourth part of the honor we owe to God. E: We have said that it is to acknowledge him with the heart and confess with the mouth that he is the author of every good thing, so as to glorify him.✦ 297. M: Hasn't he given us a rule for doing this?1 E: All the praises and thanksgivings contained in Scripture must be our rule and teaching.2 298. M: Hasn't any of this been covered in the Prayer?3 E: Yes, it certainly has.4 By desiring that his Name be hallowed, we desire that all his works appear glorious, just as they are. This means that whether he punishes, he is recognized as just; whether he pardons, merciful; or whether he keeps his promises, true.5 In short, that there may be nothing at all in which his glory does not shine. That is to ascribe to him the praise for every good thing.
The Knowledge of God as Eternal Life
True knowledge of God through Jesus Christ is the essence of eternal life, leading us to honor Him as Father and Savior.
299. Minister: What conclusion should we draw from everything we've discussed? Elder: We conclude what the truth itself testifies, and what we touched on at the beginning: this is eternal life—to know the true God and the one he has sent, Jesus Christ (John 17:3). I mean to know him in a way that honors him rightly, so that he is not only our Master and Lord, but also our Father and Savior (Matthew 1:21), and so that we, in turn, may be his children, his servants, and a people dedicated to his glory.
Read the original Latin
295. M : N'est-il licite de demander autre chose, sinon ce qui a été récité? E : Combien qu'il nous soit libre d'user d'autres paroles et d'autre forme et manière, si est-ce que nulle oraison ne sera jamais agréable à Dieu laquelle ne se rapporte à celle-ci, comme à la règle unique de bien prier.
La quatrième espèce de vrai honneur de Dieu 296. M : Il est temps de venir au quatrième membre de l'honneur que nous devons rendre à Dieu. E : Nous avons dit que c'est de le reconnaître de coeur et confesser de bouche auteur de tous biens pour le glorifier.
297. M : Ne nous a-t-il pas baillé quelque règle pour ce faire? E : Toutes les louanges et actions de grâces contenues en l'Ecriture nous doivent être pour règle et enseignement.
298. M : N'en a-t-il rien été touché en l'oraison? E : Si a bien. Car en désirant que son Nom soit sanctifié, nous désirons que toutes ses oeuvres apparaissent glorieuses, comme elles le sont. Tellement que soit qu'il punisse, il soit tenu pour juste, soit qu'il pardonne, pour miséricordieux, soit qu'il accomplisse ses promesses, pour véritable. En somme, qu'il n'y ait du tout rien en quoi sa gloire ne reluise. Cela est lui attribuer la louange de tous biens.
299. M : Que conclurons-nous de tout ce qu'avons dit? E : Ce que témoigne la vérité et qui a été touché au commencement, à savoir que cette est la vie éternelle, de connaître le vrai Dieu et celui qu'il a envoyé, Jésus-Christ (Jean 17:3), le connaître, dis-je, pour l'honorer dûment, afin qu'il nous soit non seulement Maître et Seigneur, mais aussi Père et Sauveur (Matthieu 1:21), et que nous mutuellement lui soyons enfants, serviteurs et peuple dédié à sa gloire.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Rom.10.9-Rom.10.10 — If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Rom.10.10 — For with the heart one believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses, resulting in salvation.
Notes
- 1 ↩baillé is older French for 'given/delivered'; rendered as given.
- 2 ↩actions de grâces means acts of thanksgiving, not divine grace as gift.
- 3 ↩French oraison here means the Lord's Prayer (the model prayer under discussion), not prayer in general; rendered as 'the Prayer' to keep that force.
- 4 ↩Middle French Si a bien is a strong affirmative answering a negative question (roughly 'Yes, indeed it has'); not conditional si.
- 5 ↩véritable rendered 'true' in the sense of faithful/truthful to his word when he fulfills his promises, not merely 'real'.
Catechism of the Church of Geneva (Le catéchisme de l'Église de Genève) companion
Rule yourself daily, not just on retreat
Chosen Portion turns the mirror into a daily practice — a short reading and examining question each morning before you lead anyone.
Chosen Portion makes the mirror daily: the ruler-formation questions this collection preserves become a two-minute morning examination in the app.
- A daily formation reading drawn from centuries of counsel to those in authority
- One pointed examination question a day — two minutes, before the meetings start
- Track your practice over weeks and watch the examined life become a habit