Continuing with the theme of prayers at the start of the Rosary that we pray so often they can lose their meaning — after the Sign of the Cross and the Apostles’ Creed comes the Our Father.

I went to a Church of England Infant School and a secular Junior School. Shine, Jesus, Shine and the Our Father were staples of every assembly. It was the first prayer I knew, and it is often one of the first prayers any of us learn. Yet because we learn it as children, it is easy to miss its depth. Too often we hold onto it only as “the prayer that Jesus gave us” without entering into the meaning of its words.

The story of its origin is simple: the disciples, often confused and unsure, asked Jesus how they should pray. And He gave them the Our Father. That alone gives us the foundation of all prayer — Christ Himself teaching us how to lift our hearts to God.

I’ll return in future posts to break down the individual lines of this prayer, but for now I want to share how I use it in my own prayer life. I find it hard to pray “freestyle.” Many times I’ve gone into a church with a deep need in my heart, lit a candle, made the Sign of the Cross… and then nothing. My thoughts either crowd in all at once or vanish completely.

In those moments, I imagine myself sitting on a bench next to Christ, and I begin the Our Father. Between each line, I pause and expand on the theme. Sometimes I reflect on all of the lines, sometimes on just one. Either way, the prayer becomes a doorway into conversation with God.

Here is an example reflection I wrote down during prayer, showing how the Our Father can open into personal dialogue with God:

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Our Father,
(God, You are my Father — the Father of all. You love me, and You love everyone equally. I pray even for those who wish me ill, because You love them as much as You love me.)

Who art in heaven,
(You are my Father, but You also transcend all things. You are both personal and eternal. I place my trust in You.)

Hallowed be thy name,
(Use my life to glorify You. Help me to listen for Your plan and live in a way that hallows Your name on earth.)

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done,
(Where my desires conflict with Your will, give me the strength to surrender. “Lord, I believe — help my unbelief.”)

On earth as it is in heaven,
(Help me to fulfil Your plan for me, and help me support others in theirs, so that Your kingdom may grow closer each day.)

Give us this day our daily bread,
(Sustain me in body and soul. Teach me to trust in Your providence, and free me from anxiety over worldly concerns.)

And forgive us our trespasses,
(You give me everything, yet I still stray. Forgive me for my failures, for turning from You.)

As we forgive those who trespass against us,
(Remind me that You have forgiven me far more than I am asked to forgive. You suffered for my redemption; help me to forgive others out of love for You.)

And lead us not into temptation,
(My will for You is strong, but I am weak. I turn to worldly comforts instead of trusting in You. I cannot resist temptation alone — strengthen me.)

But deliver us from evil,
(Though I stumble, I choose You. Help me see You in every trial and choose rightly, so that even my setbacks glorify You and deepen my faith.)

Amen.

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The Our Father is the perfect “Pause. Pray. Pass it on” prayer. We already know it by heart, yet its lines can open new paths of reflection every time we pray. It is not just the prayer that Jesus gave us — it is the prayer that can carry us back to Him, again and again.

Pause. Pray. Pass it on.