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by Gregory Armstrong (Author)
50 Days for Our Father: A Mystagogy on the Lord's Prayer
"No longer do I say my father, Pietro Bernardone, but Our Father, who art in Heaven..."
With this cry, St. Francis of Assisi seized upon the secret to the Christian life: a total surrender to God as Father, in and through Jesus Christ our firstborn brother. Like Francis during his earthly pilgrimage, we live in the tension between what God has done and what is yet to come. We daily experience the already-but-not-yet of conversion.
"50 Days for Our Father" is an invitation to move beyond simply reciting the words of the Lord's Prayer and to begin living them. This devotional transforms the familiar formula into a profound, 50-day journey of surrender, trust, and filial love.
We pray that this book will bear fruit as a mystagogical experience for those who have just been received into the Church at Easter. Further, we hope that anyone, at any time, may, by the grace of our Good Father, derive some benefit from these little reflections.
What You Will Discover Inside:
Whether you use this guide during the sacred season from Easter to Pentecost or at any time of year, each short, profound daily reflection will draw you deeper into your true identity as a beloved son or daughter of God.
Our Father, Who art in Heaven: (Days 1-5): Relate to God as Father through a deepening of trust and purification of your images of fatherhood.
Hallowed Be Thy Name (Days 6-7): Explore the holiness of God and your call to recognize His perfection above all else.
Thy Kingdom Come (Days 8-14): Meditate on the three advents of the King in the Incarnation, the Eucharist, and the Second Coming.
Thy Will be Done (Days 15-17): Learn to submit your will, passions, and desires to the Father with the courage and trust of a child, not the fear of a slave.
On Earth as it is in Heaven (Days 18-21): Realize where and how heaven and earth meet.
Give us this Day our Daily Bread (Days 22-27): Confront the lie of scarcity and discover how the Father's providence supplies every need, both physical and spiritual, teaching you to rely completely on Him.
Forgive Us Our Trespasses, as we Forgive (Days 28-34): Embrace the ocean of Divine Mercy. This section challenges you to face your sinfulness, trust in the forgiveness won by Christ, and find the grace to forgive others "as He forgives."
Lead us not into Temptation (Days 35-39): Equip yourself for the spiritual battle. Reflect on the necessities of Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving as tools for perseverance.
Deliver Us From Evil (Days 40-44): Profess your firm belief that Christ has already won the final victory over the evil one through the Paschal Mystery.
Doxology (Days 45-49): Conclude by proclaiming the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory of God.
Oblation to the Father (Day 50): Re-entrust yourself totally to God the Father, in imitation of St. Francis.
This is more than just a book; it's an invitation to a deeper relationship with God the Father. Take the time to pray, submit your will, and live the grace and glory of spiritual childhood that is already yours in Christ.
Begin your 50-day journey today and rediscover the transformative power of Our Father.
