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February 16, 2016This week we begin our series of Reflections on the Building Prayer with the opening phrases of the prayer:"Heavenly Father..."Why do we call God our Father? It is not a sentimental affectation on our part, but a statement of fact: God is our Father. He has adopted us as His children through our Baptism, through which we share in His divine life. We pray to God our Father because Jesus taught us to do so in the great prayer He gave us, the Our Father."Creator of all things..."When we pray to God, we acknowledge our utter dependence on Him for everything, down to the fact of our existence. It is easy to fall into a feeling of self-reliance and independence, especially when all of our needs are met, and forget this fundamental need for God. And so the Church begins Lent, the season of spiritual renewal, with a ritual that recalls our creation and nothingness before God: we are signed with ashes, as we hear the words, "Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.""We ask your blessing on our efforts..."When we ask for God's blessing, we are asking above all that we may work in accordance with His holy and perfect will. God ultimately wills our greatest good, and so we can with confidence place all of our needs, including our need for a new home, in His hands.Pray the full text of the Building Prayer here, and watch for more reflections this Lent!
