‘We turn to the Father as confident children…’
Pope Francis observed this during the prayer he called for this Solemnity of the Annunciation, March 25, 2020, ahead of the moment of prayer he called for today against the Coronavirus pandemic.
The Holy Father had specifically appealed for the world’s Christians in joining him in saying the Our Father today at noon. After some introductory words, the Pope led the world’s faithful, via streaming from his papal library, in saying the Lord’s prayer in Latin.
Recalling that many of the world’s Christian’s have given themselves an appointment to pray together, the Pope observed: “We turn to the Father as confident children.”
Even though “we do so every day, many times a day,” Francis recognized that “in this moment, we wish to implore mercy for humanity sorely tried by the Coronavirus pandemic.”
The Pope acknowledged that in saying the prayer the Lord taught us together today, we were doing so together, “Christians of every Church and Community, of every age, language and nation.”
The Holy Father said we pray for the sick and their families, the health workers and all those that help, the authorities, the volunteers and for the ministers of our communities.
“Today many of us,” Francis pointed out, “celebrate the Incarnation of the Word in the womb of the Virgin Mary, when, in Her humble and total: “Here I am,” was mirrored the “Here I am” of the Son of God.”
“We also,” Pope Francis concluded, “entrust ourselves with full confidence to God’s hands and with only one heart and only one soul we pray: Pater Noster…”
Here is a translation of the Holy Father Francis’ words of introduction to the prayer of the Our Father:
* * *
The Holy Father’s Introduction
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
All of us Christians of the world have given ourselves an appointment today, to pray together the Our Father, the prayer Jesus taught us.
We turn to the Father as confident children. We do so every day, many times a day; however, in this moment we wish to implore mercy for humanity sorely tried by the Coronavirus pandemic. And we do so together, Christians of every Church and Community, of every age, language and nation.
We pray for the sick and their families; for the health workers and all those that help; for the Authorities, the Forces of Order and the volunteers <and> for the ministers of our communities.
Today many of us celebrate the Incarnation of the Word in the womb of the Virgin Mary, when, in Her humble and total “Here I am,” was mirrored the “Here I am” of the Son of God. We also entrust ourselves with full confidence to God’s hands and with only one heart and only one soul we pray:
[Original text: Italian; ZENIT-provided translation]“Our Father . . . “
PATER NOSTER (The Our Father in Latin)
OUR FATHER
Pater noster qui es in coelis,
sanctificetur nomen tuum;
adveniat regnum tuum,
fiat voluntas tua,
sicut in coelo et in terra.
Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie,
et dimitte nobis debita nostra,
sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris.
et ne nos inducas in tentationem
sed libera nos a malo.
Amen.
