31. What does the 'Father' remind us of?
That God is our Father, so good and so worthy of veneration that there is no earthly father like Him; and that we, therefore, ought to pray to Him with a childlike reverence, love, and confidence.
32. Why do we say 'our' Father, and not 'my' Father?
Because, God being the Father of all men, we are all His children, and should therefore love one another as brothers, and pray for one another (Mal. ii. 10).
33. Why do we add these words: 'Who art in Heaven '?
To call to our mind,
1. That God, though He is everywhere, dwells especially in Heaven, where we shall one day see Him face to face (1 Cor. xiii. 12);
2. That we are but pilgrims upon earth, and that our true country is in Heaven; and
3. That when we pray, we must detach our hearts from all earthly things, and raise them up to Heaven.
34. What do we ask for in the 'First' Petition: ' Hallowed be Thy name '?
That the name of God may never be profaned or blasphemed, but that God may be rightly known, loved, and honored by us and by all men.
35. Why is this the ' First' Petition?
Because we are to esteem the honor and glory of God more than all things else.
36. What do we ask for in the 'Second' Petition: 'Thy Kingdom come'?
1. That the kingdom of God, the Church, may be more and more extended upon earth;
2. That the kingdom of divine grace and love may now be established in our hearts, in order that,
3. After this life, we may all be admitted into the kingdom of Heaven.
