have been changed into charity, nothing shall remain in the body to oppose the spirit,
nothing to be tamed, nothing to be bridled, nothing to be trodden down; but the whole shall
go on through concord unto righteousness, and the will of God will be done in heaven and
in earth. “Thy will be done in heaven and in earth.” We wish for perfection, when we pray
for this. “Thy will be done as in heaven so in earth.” In the Church the spiritual are heaven,
the carnal are earth. So then, “Thy will be done as in heaven so in earth;” that as the spiritual
do serve Thee, so the carnal being reformed may serve Thee also. “Thy will be done as in
heaven so in earth.” There is yet another very spiritual1983 meaning of it. For we are admon-
ished to pray for our enemies. The Church is heaven, the enemies of the Church are earth.
What then is, “Thy will be done as in heaven so in earth”? May our enemies believe, as we
also believe in Thee! may they become friends, and end their enmities! They are earth,
therefore are they against us; may they become heaven, and they will be with us.
9. “Give us this day our daily bread.”1984 Now here it is manifest, that it is for ourselves
we pray. When thou sayest, “Hallowed be Thy Name,” it requires explanation how it is that
it is for thyself thou prayest, not for God. When thou sayest, “Thy will be done;” here again
is there need of explanation, lest thou think that thou art wishing well to God in this prayer,
that His will may be done, and not rather that thou art praying for thyself. When thou sayest,
“Thy kingdom come;” this again must be explained, lest thou think that thou art wishing
well to God in this prayer that He may reign. But from this place and onwards to the end
of the Prayer, it is plain that we are praying to God for our own selves. When thou sayest,
“Give us this day our daily bread,” thou dost profess thyself to be God’s beggar. But be not
ashamed at this; how rich soever any man be on earth, he is still God’s beggar. The beggar
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takes his stand before the rich man’s house; but the rich man himself stands before the door
of the great rich One. Petition is made to him, and he maketh his petition. If he were not in
need, he would not knock at the ears of God in prayer. And what doth the rich man need?
I am bold to say, the rich man needeth even daily bread. For how is it that he hath abundance
of all things? whence but because God hath given it him? What should he have, if God
withdrew His hand? Have not many laid down to sleep in wealth, and risen up in beggary?
And that he doth not want, is due to God’s mercy, not to his own power.
10. But this bread, Dearly beloved, by which our body is filled, by which the flesh is re-
cruited day by day; this bread, I say, God giveth not to those only who praise, but to those
also who blaspheme Him; “Who maketh His sun to rise upon the evil and on the good, and
sendeth rain upon the just and on the unjust.”1985 Thou praisest Him, and He feedeth thee;
thou dost blaspheme Him, He feedeth thee. He waiteth for thee to repent; but if thou wilt
1983 Pius.
1984 Matt. vi. 11.
1985 Matt. v. 45.
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On the Lord’s Prayer in St. Matthew’s Gospel, Chap. vi. 9, etc. to the …