The “Our Father” is the prayer for the children of God, Pope Francis reminds, noting: “It’s the best way to prepare ourselves to receive Jesus in Communion.”

The General Audience was held in St. Peter’s Square, on March 14, 2018, the day after the fifth anniversary of Francis’ pontificate. During his catechesis, he spoke of the Mass’ Communion Rites and, specifically, of the “Our Father” prayer.

The Holy Father pointed out that, in this prayer to the Lord, we ask Him for “our daily bread,” with particular reference to the “Eucharistic Bread that we need to live as children of God,” and we implore Him to “forgive us our trespasses, and we commit ourselves, at the same time, to forgive those who have trespassed against us.”

“Thus, opening ourselves to God’s forgiveness, we dispose ourselves to live fraternal love,” continued the Pontiff.

“Finally, we ask Him to deliver us from evil, which separates us from Him and divides us from our brothers.”

Expressed with the rite of peace, is our union and mutual love before approaching the Sacrament, clarified the Pope.

The breaking of the Bread, which takes place after the praying of the “Our Father,” is “the gesture that Jesus carried out in the Last Supper, which enabled the disciples to recognize Him after the Resurrection, as in Emmaus, explained His Holiness.

The breaking of the Bread is accompanied by the invocation of the “Lamb of God,” which is the biblical image used by John the Baptist to identify Jesus as “He who takes away the sin of the world.”

Pope Francis concluding, inviting those gathered to ask Mary, in this Lenten journey, “to not fail to look at us with love so that, with the help of the Holy Spirit, she makes fruitful our resolutions for greater dedication and generosity in our Christian life.”