attaining our true goal, our salvation and the
glorification of God.

1. This obstacle, however, is sin and its evil consequences and these
three petitions have reference to sin and its evil consequences. We,
like all men, are sinners, and in our sins we can not worship God
properly, nor can we attain our salvation if God does not show mercy to
us. For this reason we humbly implore God in the fifth petition:
"Forgive us our trespasses." In these words we implore God to grant
unto us and to our fellow men a sincerely contrite heart and to
graciously forgive us our sins and the punishment due for them. As a
condition of forgiveness, however, God exacts from us that we forgive
those who have offended us, as fully as we desire that God forgive us.
Therefore, we add: "As we forgive those who trespass against us."

2. In the sixth petition we implore God that He would graciously
preserve us from falling into sin. "Lead us not into temptation." With
these words we urge God that He should keep from us temptation to sin,
or, if through temptation He desires to try us, that He grant us
abundant graces to conquer it. Temptations do not come from God, but
from our own nature, from Satan and from the world. God permits them in
His wisdom to try our love for Him, to preserve us in humility, and to
strengthen us, to animate our zeal for virtue and to increase our
merits. God will assist us in temptation if we are exposed to it
without any fault of ours.

Those, however, who court the danger will perish in it. They can not
expect divine assistance who wilfully seek temptation and sin.

3. The seventh and last petition is "But deliver us from evil." After
asking God not to lead us into temptation we urge Him to preserve us
from evil of soul and body. We confidently trust God to guide us
according to His wisdom and mercy, and to deliver us from everything
which is an obstacle to our salvation, even if in our own
shortsightedness we may think it good and desirable.

We conclude the "Lord's Prayer" with the little word "Amen," which is
equivalent to "So be it." With this single word we confirm all our
petitions. It means: "O God grant us these things for which we have
just prayed."

Truly this prayer, taught us by Our Lord, is of high dignity and
importance. It is not alone a prayer, but a sermon as well. It is a
prayer which comprises in itself all other prayers. It is a prayer of
praise, of thanksgiving and supplication. It is, t