There are moments in life
when faith must rise
from the quiet of our hearts
and stand in the open.
My daughter faced that moment
when the Fellowship of Christian Athletes
asked her to pray.
She prayed often.
She loved God deeply.
But she feared she couldn’t pray
like the others.
So I told her gently:
Be humble enough
to pray the way Jesus taught you.
Pray the Our Father—
the prayer that belongs to every believer,
the prayer that carries
the heartbeat of the Gospel.
And when her name was called,
she took a breath
and began, “Our Father…”
And suddenly the whole room joined her.
The walls didn’t divide.
The labels didn’t matter.
The Body of Christ
prayed as one.
Afterward, the Catholic athletes thanked her—
not for being bold,
but for being faithful.
For giving them a prayer they knew,
a prayer they prayed every day,
a prayer that reminded them
who they were.
Today’s Gospel reminds us
that God sees the heart,
not the performance.
He asks for sincerity,
not style.
When we pray as Jesus taught,
we stand on holy ground—
united, steady, unafraid.
May we never be ashamed
of the prayer that shaped the saints,
strengthened the martyrs,
and still gathers God’s children
into one voice.
May we be humble enough
to simply pray
as Jesus taught us…
and trust Him
with the rest.
This is how you are to pray:
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.
