About the Lord's Prayer: (5 Homilies)

Therefore, when the Lord teaches us in prayer to call God the Father, nothing else seems to me to do, as he legitimizes an exalted and lofty way of life; because the truth teaches us not to lie, not to talk about ourselves, that which is not in us, not to call ourselves what we have not been, but, calling our Father Imperishable, Righteous and Good, to justify this kinship with life. Therefore, you see how much preparation we need, how much life is needed, how much and what thoroughness is required in order to achieve such a measure of daring with the elevation of our conscience, and dare to say to God: "Father." For if you mean money, if you are preoccupied with worldly charm, if you seek human glory, if you serve the most impassioned wishes, and then you accept the following prayer: what do you think the One who sees your life and hears the prayer will say? Such, it seems to me, I hear words, as though by God Himself uttering to a similar person: "and you, corrupted in life, call your Father incorruption your Father? Why do you defile your pure name with your unclean voice? Why do you use this phrase deceitfully? Why do you insult not bad nature? If you are My child, then, without a doubt, your life must bear the features of My blessings. I do not recognize in you the image of My nature; your features are the opposite. "As some communication light on the darkness"! What is the affinity for life and death? What is the proximity of the pure in nature to the unclean? The distance between the benefactor and the covetous is great, the opposition of the gracious to the implacable is implacable. Another father of evil in you properties. My creations are adorned with good paternal qualities, the son of the gracious is merciful, pure - pure, imperishable - a stranger to corruption, and generally good - good, true - true. But I don't know where you are from." Therefore, until we become pure in life, it is dangerous to dare to pray for this very thing, and to call God our Father.