Year of Prayer
2024 has been designated a Year of Prayer by Pope Francis. He asks all to join in a great "symphony" of prayer.
When the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray, he responds by giving them what we call the Our Father or the Lord’s Prayer. This prayer has been prayed for more than 2,000 years in hundreds of languages, by millions of people. And we pray it still today.
In his message for the first World Children's Day, Pope Francis encourages us to pray the Our Father, writing:
“Think about those words that Jesus taught us. He is calling us and he wants us to join actively with him... to become builders of a new, more humane, just and peaceful world.”
Use this Our Father colouring sheet and these ideas to explore this familiar prayer together as a family.
Perhaps over the course of a week, put aside some time each day to look at each phrase of the Lord’s prayer and consider what it means for us today.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Reflect
Jesus does not teach us to say “my Father” but rather to say “Our Father.” The very beginning of the prayer reminds us that each of us is a beloved child of God and we are all brothers and sisters. As one global family we are called to care for each other and our common home, the earth.
The word hallowed means holy and sacred. As we begin this prayer we are remembering how special God is and when we speak to him we do so with wonder and love.
Discuss
What difference does it make to know we are all God’s children?
Respond
Spend some time colouring in the first line of the prayer on our prayer illustration. Rewrite this line in your own words, using modern language to communicate the meaning.
Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Reflect
God’s kingdom is a place where all people and all creation is cared for, where there is justice and all people have what they need to live happy and healthy lives.
When we pray for God’s kingdom to come, we remember that we can help bring this about by acting in a loving way, sharing with others and standing up for what is right.
Discuss
What ways can your family help bring about God’s kingdom?
Respond
Spend some time colouring in this line of the prayer on our prayer illustration. How would you rewrite this line to speak to your family today?
Give us this day our daily bread.
Reflect
We pray for our daily bread – enough food not just for me, or for you, but for us. All of us together, having our needs met. We pray for that bread one day at a time – daily prayer for daily needs.
Jesus calls himself “the Bread of Life”. At Mass each Sunday, we are reminded that Jesus feeds each of us with the gift of himself to help us love like him and build a better world.
Discuss
How many different kinds of bread can your family think of? Why do you think Jesus used a simple food shared by people throughout the world in this prayer?
Respond
Spend some time colouring in this line of the prayer on our prayer illustration. How would you rewrite this line to speak to your family today?
You may also like to bake some bread together. Perhaps you could use our Ethiopian honey yeast bread recipe.
And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
Reflect
We all do things that are wrong and hurt others. God is always ready to forgive us when we ask him to. He asks that we also forgive those who have hurt us.
Discuss
Have you ever forgiven someone for something? Have you ever been forgiven? How did it feel?
Respond
Spend some time colouring in this line of the prayer on our prayer illustration. How would you rewrite this line to speak to your family today?
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Reflect
Being tempted is wanting to make a choice you know you shouldn’t make. In this prayer we ask God to lead us away from selfish choices that hurt others so we can follow his way of love.
Discuss
What has helped you do the right thing when you feel tempted?
Respond
Spend some time colouring in this line of the prayer on our prayer illustration. How would you rewrite this line to speak to your family today?
Amen.
Reflect
Often prayers end with “Amen,” which is a way of saying “yes” or “may it be so.” By ending the prayer with this, we are committing to trying to make the prayer a reality in our world today.
Discuss
How could you try to make this prayer a reality?
Respond
Colour the final Amen in your picture. Once you have done this spend some time praying your rewritten version(s) together. You may also like to display your coloured in sheets somewhere in the house.
Family prayer ideas
Support your family's prayer life with our ideas and resources, suitable for all ages.