Tuesday 1st Week of Lent A 2026

Gospel 

Matthew 6:7-15

Jesus said to his disciples:
“In praying, do not babble like the pagans,
who think that they will be heard because of their many words.
Do not be like them.
Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

“This is how you are to pray:

Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy Kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

“If you forgive men their transgressions,
your heavenly Father will forgive you.
But if you do not forgive men,
neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”

 

We should always start our day and end it with the prayer Jesus gave us. For everything we need is contained within it. All we need to know and do and pray is in the Our Father.

 

 We start by honoring and placing God first in our life and we profess his name is hallowed. We hold God as holy and divine and revered above all.

 

And we ask that his will be done here where we live. Not ours or anyone’s by Gods will and we conform our will to his. And when we do this, love and joy and hope accompany us as we are doing his will.

 

We ask that our needs be met. And we ask that we be forgiven our sins. And here’s the kicker… and what Jesus stresses. We must forgive all people who have wronged us or that we have been hurt by. That can be a big deal and tough challenge for some who feel they have the right to recompense or even revenge. But God ties everything we receive … from what we eat and need to live … to our own forgiveness. Both tied to how well we forgive others in our heart.

 

Finally we ask not to be tempted beyond our abilities. And we ask God keep us from evil. Evil done to us and evil we may do.

 

This Lent is a great time to ask who do we hold hard feelings for? Who has hurt us that we still harbor ill will for. Who do we reject?

 

God isn’t asking us to put ourselves in situations where we can get hurt by others again, but if we harbor ill will for anyone, we will never receive the Holy Spirit and the gifts God has for us.

 

This Lent let us give up allowing any past events to color our hearts so the Spirit will find a heart it can open and be our advocate through life.