The Our Father, also called the Lord's Prayer, is the prayer Jesus Himself taught His disciples. It is prayed at the start of every decade of the Holy Rosary.
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. Amen.
Where It Comes From
When the disciples asked Jesus, "Lord, teach us to pray," He gave them this prayer. It appears in two Gospels: Matthew 6:9–13 and Luke 11:2–4.
Because it comes from Jesus' own lips, the Church has always treated it as the model of all prayer.
What It Means
The Our Father has seven petitions:
Three turn toward God:
- Hallowed be Thy name: may God's name be honored as holy
- Thy kingdom come: may God reign in our hearts and in the world
- Thy will be done: may we live by His will, not ours
Four bring our needs to Him: 4. Give us this day our daily bread: for what we need each day, body and soul, including the Eucharist 5. Forgive us our trespasses: for mercy, as we show mercy to others 6. Lead us not into temptation: for strength when we are tested 7. Deliver us from evil: for protection from the Evil One
Why Catholics Don't Add "For Thine Is the Kingdom"
When praying the Our Father on its own or in the Holy Rosary, Catholics end with "deliver us from evil. Amen." The line "For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are Yours" is an ancient doxology. At Mass, it is said after a short prayer by the priest, not as part of the Our Father itself.
In Latin (Pater Noster)
Pater noster, qui es in caelis, sanctificetur nomen tuum. Adveniat regnum tuum. Fiat voluntas tua, sicut in caelo et in terra.
Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie, et dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris. Et ne nos inducas in tentationem, sed libera nos a malo. Amen.
In the Holy Rosary
The Our Father is prayed:
- On the first large bead, after the Apostles' Creed
- On the large bead at the start of each of the five decades, after announcing the mystery
Next prayer in the Holy Rosary: Hail Mary