The Lord's Prayer is the only prayer that Jesus specifically taught to his followers. Therefore it is important, in addition to praying it, to understand what it says and means. To shed light on this task, the present book presents a series of essays by Catholic saints and mystics, in which the words and phrases of the prayer are discussed and explained, with varying points of view.

This short prayer is composed of a number of separate petitions, and they usually are enumerated as seven. In the first three petitions we raise our hearts to Heaven:

Our Father, Who are in Heaven, hallowed by Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.

The final four we pray for our lives here on earth:

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. Amen.

The saintly commentators delve into the many possible interpretations and meanings of these petitions, whether it be a spiritual explanation or a more material and worldly one. In addition to the saints, the revelations to the mystics Luisa Piccarreta and Maria Valtorta contain in-depth teachings from Jesus Himself on the many dimensions of this prayer to His Father.

Remember to keep praying the Lords Prayer, you can never pray it too much.