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The Catholic Leader, March 22, 2020
www.catholicleader.com.auArts + entertainment
UNDERSTANDING “OUR
FATHER”: BIBLICAL REFLEC-
TIONS ON THE LORD’S
PRAYER
Scott Hahn; Emmaus Road
Publishing, Steubenville, Ohio,
United States (fourth printing);
2019
Reviewed by Barbara Flynn
SCOTT Hahn, a highly respected and much
published Scripture scholar unpacks each of
the prayer statements in
the Lord’s Prayer in this
inspirational book blending
his own insights with teach-
ings from the Catechism
of the Catholic Church and
scriptures mainly from St
Paul and St Peter.
Cardinals, bishops and other scholars com-
mend Hahn’s work, now in its fourth reprint, for
its solid catechesis and profound insights.
Also, in Part Two, the inclusion of writings
on prayer by four great Church Fathers, St
Cyprian, St Cyril of Jerusalem, St John Chrys-
ostom and St Augustine is praised.
Hahn initially examines the belief that the
Lord’s Prayer is frequently taken for granted
and not appreciated for its true significance.
He emphasises that, not only is it “the centre-
piece of the Sermon on the Mount but also it is
a gift to humanity”.
Given directly by Jesus, our Lord, when he
is in prayer, he introduces to his followers their
relationship with God whom he addresses as
“Our Father”.
He is establishing his relationship with God
as Father to be also the relationship which his
disciples experience.
To people of Hebrew culture this intimacy
with God being attributed “Fatherhood” was
quite radical.
Jesus’ disciples were being given a model
prayer which is God-centred, not self-centred,
and containing seven petitions in a unified,
compact whole.
It is a model for building our relationship
with God and one another through prayer.
It is a prayer from the heart when prayed in
surrender.
God is to be acknowledged and honoured
as our Father before we petition our personal
requests and needs.
These are expressed thus: “give us”; “forgive
us”; “lead us”; “deliver us”.
In further discussion, Hahn links the third
and fourth petitions, unpacking “the idea of
Kingdom” and “Thy will be done” as impor-
tant to Jesus and the sacred writers of the New
Testament.
Study of Jesus’ teachings, many as parables,
frequently gives veiled references for interpret-
ing meanings within “the concept of Kingdom”.
His Hebrew audience had a history of want-
ing a King foreshadowed in the Old Covenant.
So Jesus desired that his followers come to
understand that with the coming of Jesus, “The
Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2).
In Jesus’ lifetime he was not recognised as
King.
Hahn points out, using
references from the Cat-
echism (no. 2771), that we
continue to pray asking “Thy
Kingdom come” because the
Kingdom of God is not fully
manifested.
As a couplet, Hahn consid-
ers “Lead us not into tempta-
tion but deliver us from evil”,
giving his personal insights.
He points out among
other matters that temptations
when resisted through prayer
can be a way of strengthen-
ing faith.
When the believer accepts
Christian teachings, made
through their free will and
choice, the acknowledge
both temptations and evil
but strive with prayer to deal
with these realities.
It is interesting to note that there has recently
been discussion by Pope Francis regarding the
intended wording “Lead us not into temptation”.
Meanings in the original Aramaic and Greek
of the early Church may be blurred in current
translations into the English language.
Hahn’s insights into the Doxology or
concluding prayer not included in earliest
manuscripts of the New Testament gives some
historical facts.
It is an exhortation of
confidence and hope in God’s
Fatherhood, providence, help
and grace, and His presence
with His people.
Hahn has written with
clarity, presenting theological
reflections linking Old and
New testaments, and offering
his personal insights from
meditation and scholarship.
His aim has been to deepen
our understanding of the
nature and importance of
prayer as a way of develop-
ing intimacy with God while
acknowledging God as the
centre of our existence, “our
supernatural destiny”.
Jesus, by gifting His dis-
ciples with the “Our Father”,
has “assisted people for all
time in their spiritual life”.
This book is recommended as a prayer help.
The book is available at St Paul’s Book
Centre, Elizabeth Street, Brisbane.
Book
Unpacking what’s at heart of prayer from Jesus
Another shot at hope
School days:
School basketball coach Jack
Cunningham (Ben Affleck) and one of his
players Marcus (Melvin Gregg) star in a scene
from the movie The Way Back.
Photo: CNS
THE WAY BACK: Starring
Ben Affleck, Janina Gavankar,
T.K. Carter, Hayes MacArthur.
Directed by Gavin O’Connor.
Rated M (Mature themes,
coarse language and sexual
references) 108 minutes
By Sr Hosea Rupprecht
WHOSE life doesn’t involve a
crazy mixture of heartbreak and joy,
despair and hope, death and life,
weakness and redemption?
Jack Cunningham (Ben
Affleck), the protagonist of
the sports drama The Way
Back, can surely relate to all
those shared highs and lows.
We first meet construction
worker Jack as a hopeless
drunk, putting a can of beer
in his shower caddy at home,
another brew or harder stuff in his coffee mug
at work, and going through a whole case in one
night.
When he shows up at his sister Beth’s
(Michaela Watkins) home for Thanksgiving, he
already has a drink in hand.
Yet, by contrast, he shows himself a doting un-
cle, reading bedtime stories to his young nephew.
When Beth confronts him about his isolation,
she also tells him that his wife Angela (Janina
Gavankar) called her, worried about him.
We later learn that Jack and Angela are still
married but have separated after a devastating
family loss.
When the basketball coach at the Catholic high
school he attended suffers a heart attack, former
hoops star Jack is asked to take over the program.
His alcohol-fuddled brain comes up with tons
of excuses as to why he can’t do this.
But, surprisingly, he shows up at the gym for
practice the next day and is introduced to the
team by the assistant coach Dan (Al Madrigal).
Jack is less than impressed by what he sees.
The team’s stats are awful.
They “couldn’t hit the ocean from the beach”,
as Jack puts it.
As penned by Brad Ingelsby, director Gavin
O’Connor’s film is permeated with the kind of
off-colour language that might be overheard in a
locker room.
Unlike many other movies, though, the swear-
ing in The Way Back isn’t gratuitous. Instead it
serves as a symptom of Jack’s deep suffering.
Thus, as he works with the players, finds a
new sense of purpose and begins to heal, his
instances of mouthing off diminish – although
they don’t disappear completely.
Jack’s vocabulary becomes an issue for the
team’s chaplain Fr Mark (Jeremy Radin), who
reminds him that swearing is against the school’s
code of conduct.
This leads to an amusing exchange between
the two.
Angered during a match, Jack gives forth an
expletive, only to get the “hairy eyeball” from Fr
Mark. “I’m working on it,” Jack responds, rein-
ing in his frustration.
“Work harder,” the chaplain curtly replies.
The movie’s depiction of Jack’s recovery is so
unrealistic as to be unsettling.
He goes cold turkey without any support from
others. However, the script does at least demon-
strate that Jack’s path back to a fulfilling, happy
life is not free of pitfalls – nor is his deliverance
from dependency a one-and-done deal unmarred
by setbacks.
At one point, Dan tells Jack not to underes-
timate the influence he can have in the lives of
kids on the team.
And this is borne out as the story progresses.
Jack helps Brandon (Brandon Wilson) come
out of his shell and live up to his potential for
leadership.
Similarly, Jack guides Marcus (Melvin Gregg)
– who has previously just skidded by using his
natural charisma – to take responsibility for
himself and his actions.
The Way Back does nothing to break free of
the traditional formula of sports movies, and
these aspects of the plot are highly predictable.
Yet Affleck carries the proceedings with able
acting and the younger members of the cast,
especially Wilson, give believable performances
as well.
Catholic viewers will appreciate the parochial-
school setting, although faith doesn’t play a
big part in Jack’s journey or those of the other
characters.
What The Way Back does provide, however,
is hope.
Jack’s redemption shows that no matter how
much suffering life throws at us, we can once
again experience love if we simply remain open
to it.
The film contains mature themes, including al-
coholism, a few instances of profanity, frequent
crude and crass language and a vulgar sexual
reference.
Sr Hosea Rupprecht,
a Daughter of St
Paul, is a guest reviewer for Catholic News
Service.
Film