In the last decade, the liturgical versions of the Our Father have been changed in both French and Italian to soften the apparent harshness of this petition. The French translation is now “Ne nous laisse pas entrer en tentation,” “Do not let us enter into temptation,” and the Italian runs “Non abbandonarci alla tentazione,” “Do not abandon us to temptation.”
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Rod Dreher’s “The Benedict Option” (2017) has been on my list of things to read for a long time. As a Cistercian monk rooted in the Benedictine tradition and apostolically engaged as a priest and teacher, I basically felt like it was required reading, given how often people refer to it.
As the fall season approaches each year, many of our parishes begin preparing to bring their communities together in joyful celebrations. Some call these gatherings “parish festivals,” while others prefer the name “carnivals.” Whatever we choose to call them, these celebrations are far more than just events on a calendar. They are living reminders of our fellowship with Christ and with one another as a community of believers.
If I were a prospective elementary school parent, the first question I would ask a principal or teacher would be: What is your mission?
This petition is the most scandalous of them all. The verb tenses reveal the heart of the matter.
I recently read a book about discernment and the spiritual life that I’d recommend to just about anyone but especially to the young: Stacey Sumereau, “Adventure Awaits: How to Interpret Your Desires and Hear God’s Voice” (Ave Maria Press, 2025). It is short and divided into bite-sized sections filled with stories, explanations, and spiritual exercises. It is written in a friendly style and rooted in Catholic faith.
In Mark 4:35, just before the calming of the storm at sea, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us cross to the other side.” They boarded a boat, and it was during this crossing that a violent storm arose, with heavy waves threatening to overwhelm them. It was there, in the midst of the storm, that Jesus calmed the sea.
My ideal translation of this phrase would be “Give us our ‘supersubstantial’ bread today.” That would sound gloriously awkward at Mass, and ‘supersubstantial’ would be a liturgical tongue twister for children trying to say the word quickly five times in a row. That translation, though, grants immediate access to the mystery at work in the first petition of the Our Father prayer.
There is a quiet strength in surrender — one that doesn’t always feel heroic, yet often marks the beginning of our most transformative spiritual journeys.
This natural disaster has left behind a trail of heartbreak and loss, and while the full extent of the damage is still unfolding, we know that many lives have been forever changed.