Der dritte Teil: Von der Dankbarkeit — 46. Sonntag
The Confidence of Children
Christ teaches us to address God as Father to establish a foundation of childlike trust and reverence in our prayers.
Why did Christ command us to address God as "Our Father"? He wants to awaken in us, right at the beginning of our prayer, a childlike reverence and confidence toward God, upon which our prayer should be founded; namely, that God has become our Father through Christ and that He will not deny us what we ask of Him in faith, much less than our earthly fathers would deny us material things.
The Majesty of the Father
The phrase 'in heaven' reminds us to look beyond earthly limitations to God's divine majesty and omnipotence.
Why is the phrase "in heaven" added? We shouldn't think of anything earthly in relation to the heavenly majesty of God, but instead expect from His omnipotence everything necessary for body and soul.
Read the original Latin
Warum hat uns Christus befohlen, Gott so anzureden: „Unser Vater"? Er will in uns gleich zu Anfang unseres Gebetes die kindliche Ehrfurcht und Zuversicht Gott gegenüber wecken, auf die unser Gebet gegründet sein soll; dass nämlich Gott durch Christus unser Vater geworden ist und uns das, worum wir ihn im Glauben bitten, noch viel weniger verweigern will, als unsere Väter uns irdische Dinge abschlagen.
Warum wird hinzugefügt: „Im Himmel"? Wir sollen von der himmlischen Hoheit Gottes nichts Irdisches denken und von seiner Allmacht alles erwarten, was für Leib und Seele nötig ist.
Heidelberg Catechism (Heidelbergse Catechismus) 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