4 Surprising Catholic Implications of the Our Father

The Lord's Prayer or "Our Father," is the most famous prayer in Christian, given to us by Jesus himself. But did you know that there's a deeply Catholic meaning to this prayer, in what it reveals about formal prayer, about the Church, about the Eucharist, and about the impossibility of "salvation by faith alone"?

[@Grizaptimus]

As a Protestant, I have found myself starting to use the Lord's Prayer and Our Father. There are many times that in my battles against my pornography addiction, Where I just feel so wretched and full of despair that I am unable to think of anything to even pray. Any words that I can even say seem so useless and trite and even filthy. Have I not said the exact same things the LAST time I failed? And the time before that? etc etc. While I still have difficulty remembering the words of the rote prayers during those times, They give me something clean and pure! Something not tainted and dirtied by my despair to stop sinning, yet always seeming to fail.

[@jaimemorgan5323]

Keep at it, brother, and pray with others when you can. By that I mean pray in unison, the strength of voices raised as one to God - as the angels sing praises in unison - is both humbling and up-lifting. Letting others know of your struggles with impurity helps to defeat the Devil, too, since he is the prince of lies and darkness; he has greater sway when you suffer alone. When I was a child, the voices of demons woke me nightly. The only thing that banished them was repeating (with my mother), over and over, 'Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, help me!' With each repetition, the voices grew softer and softer until they were silenced.

[@Catholiclady3]

Pints with Aquinas on yt has a course meant to overcome pornography. I have no experience with it,but I think it would be good for you. As catholics, we go to confession and, as a result, receive grace, which helps overcome sin. If you can't do that, confessing your sin alone to Christ may help. God bless you in your struggles ❤

[@maryloomis8075]

If you have a crucifix (I know!) meditate esp. on the wounds of Christ. The crown of thorns surrounding His head /mind...what thoughts that you have, that are impure... offer them to Jesus for the sins against the purity of His mind and heart. It may take many years to overcome these sins...but ask our friends St Augustine and his mother Monica to help you. You have many friends in heaven. I will offer a prayer for you too!

[@canibezeroun1988]

As a person who also struggled with porn, I would encourage you to confess. Even to a priest. You'll literally be a stranger, but the act of confession is powerful. We weren't meant to be Christian alone. We are one body and there to support each other. There's a power in it that we can't understand. But keep praying until Jesus changes you. I never thought I would succeed, but by His Grace, I have succeeded.

[@ivoandrijasevic2826]

Our Father and Lord prayer are one and the same thing

[@Ladya12345]

As a Protestant, I rarely turned to the Lord first when trouble hit my life because I didn’t know what to say. Since becoming Catholic, I know what to say. I’ve said the prayers hundreds of times. I even say them in my dreams. My relationship with God has never been better because I turn to him more often! Formal prayers are wonderful and helpful! Give them a try! Reciting the Our Father or the Nicene Creed is a great way to start!

[@ToddJambon]

I did a Best Man speech that included a prayer that I wrote for the couple. It went really well. Years later, I was asked the morning of my Goddaughter's First Holy Communion if I could say a prayer before the meal. I didn't have time to write anything and I stumbled through it, especially because there were Protestants there who I didn't want to offend. Had I written down a prayer beforehand, I wouldn't have stumbled and I might not have cared if my prayer offended anybody, especially because every Protestant there was a fallen-away Catholic.

[@huntsman528]

Writing down a prayer would offend Protestants? What?

[@ToddJambon]

@huntsman528 I included in the prayer that my goddaughter continues to grow in the Catholic Faith and takes Holy Communion every week. But there were fallen away Catholics there and I changed it to something more generic on the fly so as not to anger them.

[@huntsman528]

@ToddJambon that makes a lot more sense. Your situation isn't Catholic specific, it applies to any time you have multiple denominations.

[@crsw7041]

I get it. Please make sure in future, though, that you say receive Holy Communion instead of takes Holy Communion

[@hirakisk]

@@huntsman528 Some would get offended. I was asked to do the closing prayer at a funeral and wrote the prayer down ahead of time. The pastor of the church made a snide comment that he expected me to "cross myself" afterwards because I read the prayer.

[@andrewscotteames4718]

I tried the evangelical model of prayer for many years and it was an absolute tyranny that would destroy the frequency and depth of my prayer life. I thought I couldn’t repeat myself at all, so if I prayed for something once, I would drop it and not pray about it again. Maybe if it were really important I would try and find a novel way of asking in different words…but it soon came to the point where my prayer life was absolutely strangled and I would hardly ever pray. When I began setting fixed times to pray and using the prayers of the church for words when I had none, I began to pray frequently, deeply, and more often SPONTANEOUSLY throughout the day. Evangelicalism is truly a spiritual desert. It angers me to think of how long I was held in its grip by men who use the Christian faith to line their pockets or increase their social status.

[@Murph_gaming]

I think you were mislead somewhere. If someone you knew was sick or in any kind of tough situation you would keep praying for them, wouldn't you?

[@BrotherJohannes]

Even as a cradle Catholic, I hear you brother. It's easy to become resentful of the antipathies toward a sacramental worldview that we absorb from the Protestant air we breathe. And it becomes a bit harder to forgive for that, because who must we forgive?! If anything, it becomes easy to direct our resentment to any poor Protestant who crosses our path. So, this part of the Lord's prayer is quite a challenge!

[@maryloomis8075]

Satan does not want you to pray either for yourself or others (intercessary prayer) If only you can read/say the Morning Offering prayer and the Our Father you give Him (God) everything and the Lord knows your needs. Don't let that devil win! "Pray without ceasing"....When you think about God just give Him everything and go on with your day.

[@canibezeroun1988]

The first time I was looking for a job I didn't repeat myself. It was anxiety inducing everyday.

[@IM-tl7qv]

I love how the automatic subtitles say welcome to shameless potpourri. That's a very different podcast 😆 I also love the thought of Joe just doing potpourri and talking about it with an attitude of shameless enthusiasm and defiantly objecting to anyone who calls potpourri boring 😆😆😆

[@jeremypickett4902]

😂😂😂

[@colinwrubleski7627]

Or as i saw, the "seammess potpourri". The Irish version, perchance-?^^

[@felixsiswanto8561]

​@@jeremypickett4902😊2a

[@felixsiswanto8561]

​@@jeremypickett4902😊2a

[@titusudoh8486]

This was beautifully explained. I just love how everything seems to confirm the Catholic Faith; Scriptures, History, Philosophy, Logic etc.

[@sezcerjan4431]

Wow!! This just blew my "protestant-ly educated" mind! I have recently added the Lords prayer and a psalm to nightly prayers with my children and it's been enriching to say the least. Thank you for these wonderful insights!

[@simplydanny]

Joe just body slammed Protestants on this one. Respectfully and in classic Joe style.

[@eddardgreybeard]

You should see the VaticanCatholic one. It's a head shot in the first 5 minutes and another hour and 25 minutes of desecrating the corpse

[@GumbyJumpOff]

​@eddardgreybeard725 what video is that? I've only seen one where he explained what's wrong with the Protestant understanding of justification and sanctification.

[@eddardgreybeard]

@@GumbyJumpOff Search "protestantisms big justification lie"

[@richardkasper5822]

That's not how Jesus would say it We need to pray for unity but I do feel your excitement lol

[@elipadgett1078]

😂 I got an ad for harbor freight right after you said "Jesus gives us" and the ad started with "big deals at harbor freight this weekend!" 😂 It was too perfect.

[@marilynmelzian7370]

As an Anglican, I love formal prayer for several reasons: it takes me out of my subjective world, and puts me in the company of all those who have prayed throughout history; it reminds me of things I have forgotten, or did not know, and so expands my understanding of God, and his works; it disciplines my mind, pointing me to what is true; because I am not trying to be original, or am not being forced to conjure up emotions, I am freed to respond without coercion. The prayers in the prayer book of the Anglican Church of North America are very ancient prayers, steeped in scripture, and in the tradition of the church. The worst thing I have found about informal prayer in evangelical churches is the narrowness of its scope, almost always limited to the relationship between the believer and God. It is not that those aren’t important, but they are limited.

[@koppite9600]

Why are you Anglican?

[@garyhogan7881]

Thank you Joe!! Cradle Protestant here of considerable years, and I'm halted in my tracks by what you have articulated about the Lord's Prayer, as we call it. (Just this morning I was musing the following; 'does the phrase in the Lord's Prayer '..our daily bread..' somehow relate to the Eucharist?? Wow, is the Holy Spirit active today or what??) I'm learning so much from your episodes, and I sincerely want to thank you for your study, your integrity AND your objectivity. At this late stage in my life I may indeed be on the journey into His Catholic church.

[@gk3292]

Excellent!! Thanks so much Joe!! Keep up the great work in defending the One Holy Catholic Apostolic Church…Viva Cristo Rey!!🙏🙏

[@temijinkahn511]

I love these podcasts. They really make me think about my beliefs and why I believe them.

[@thisfirstdarc]

Thank you Joe for enriching my understanding of the Our Father. Your slides and the consistency with which you refer to them as you move between points are a great aid to understanding. Great format, clear logic, and very charitable vibes. God bless you!

[@MrPanchoak]

😅 I've been protestant over most of my life. And a cultist prior to that. I have always heard the famous quote of our lord read as "Do not pray as the Katliks do with vain........ And yes it was openly taught in that very manner. Then they point their fingers at them darn papists for every little doctrinal difference they have between them. I'm sure glad to be rid of that mindset.

[@kainosktisis777]

Yes, they do do that. I had a lot of anti-Catholicism growing up, & we have many Catholic relatives, & it made for some hurtful exchanges at times in the past. 😔 I wonder at times if these very anti-Catholic Christians realize that the very Christian Bible they quote from came to them through the Catholic Church? 😳 For the one who will look into the claims of the Catholic Church & 2,000 years of Church history & the Church Fathers & such, to that one will come a holy shock & a glorious amazement to find out that what he'd been fighting & trying to save people from was in fact the Church Christ established on earth 2,000 years ago..." (Rosalind Moss aka Mother Miriam of the Lamb of God quoting Scott Hahn)

[@J-PLeigh8409]

Pretty ironically bizarre that Protesters that have such an high view of sacred scripture & hold to Sola Scriptura, can not see the beauty & power in praying the Psalms, the Son of Gods words such as in the Our Father, & John 17, even praying early church father & great saint quotes & or the Nicene Creed. These texts, etc can deeply resonate w/ us, I personally love Psalm 63, 67 & 100, John 17 Christs words for His Church to be one as He & the Father are one & pray them daily w/ the Our Father, Hail Mary, glory be...these are the prayers of the Church & I would imagine loved & appreciated by the body of Christ, at least in Catholic Christendom

[@J-PLeigh8409]

@@po18guy yup, in general there is vast difference between the rich depth & beauty of the faith & a superficial elementary understanding, which is a shame. Its as if many Prots are stuck in a 21st cent self imposed view rather than research the ancient holy faith & all it contains thru church history

[@megrose711]

Wow, I don't know if I've ever learned so much from a youtube video as I have from this one. So much to think about, including ways I can improve my prayer life, realizing that the distractions I am plagued by are something to really work on. Thank you and God bless your work!

[@allisonsmith5449]

Simply excellent - well done Joe. As always well laid out, easy to follow, charitable, humble arguments for what is logical and reasonable and therefore truth. Waiting for the next podcast......

[@timboslice980]

It is yet another total refutation by the Heschmeister!

[@DevinWardMusic]

As a protestant and current seminarian, I’m not close to swimming the Tiber, but I have learned a lot from Catholic speakers and theologians. This video being enlightening as well regarding this particular happox legomenon and written prayers.

[@KarenBoman-pb3vn]

As a protestant - do you really believe what he is saying about protestant teachings of our Father's prayer. Several times as a protestant I've heard pastors explain the importance of this prayer sentence by sentence going through and teaching the meaning. Never teaching repetition is pagan.

[@DevinWardMusic]

@@KarenBoman-pb3vn In the Pentecostal circles i grew up on, especially AG, very few could even articulate the Lord’s Prayer. We never said it or any prewritten prayers. They didn’t believe in doing that. But the puritans and other Protestant groups have rich tradition of written prayers and liturgy. Protestantism is a broad tree of Christianity with many branches. Mostly the Lord’s Prayer is taught to us as most one model with each part representing a section of how we are to structure our prayers in order. But never growing up in any church did we ever just pray it even today. I do myself now, but I got in the habit while attending mass each week while i was a faculty member teaching full time at a Catholic monastery’s school they had.

[@KarenBoman-pb3vn]

@@DevinWardMusic I agree with you that Christianity has many branches. I wasn't brought up in any religion - didn't have a Bible in our home until I asked for one during Christmas - never talked about GOD in our home. Read the Bible alone and it was a blessing. Now I have many Bible's including Catholic Bible's and also the catholic catechism. I even have "THE JEROME BIBLICAL COMMENTARY" I have also listened to catholic speakers and theologians. I don't see anything wrong with saying our LORDS prayer many times. I am wondering why so many catholics don't know what the Bible says. I have an older lady (a catholic)called me and wanted to know what the Bible says. So we started reading it verse by verse. Mostly the new testament for now. But I had to go to the old testament once and a while because she didn't know who Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were. In the new testament she didn't know who Paul was and many others. She didn't know the difference between the old testament and the new testament. She would call me 7 days a week at first for about 6 months to read. We now read 2 days a week. She is loving it. I read one verse in my Bible (NIV) and then she would read the same verse from her Bible. I ask her what she thinks. Sometimes she has thought somethings could not be true, but I've had to tell her that it's what catholics believe. She said "no they don't". She asked her church and told me I was right. But don't worry - she's still a catholic. I want her to think for herself. Enough for now. 💕

[@essafats5728]

@@KarenBoman-pb3vn well u sure are the exception to the rule. God Bless You; now spread your own understanding of the Gospel to all nations.

[@kainosktisis777]

@@KarenBoman-pb3vn If she has access to a smartphone or the internet, tell her to listen to Fr Mike Schmitz’s Bible in a Year & the Catechism in a Year Podcasts. They’re awesome!

[@dougmasters4561]

As a prot convert to orthodoxy I cosign this. The formulaic and repetitious prayer is wonderful, its just stubborn to deny it

[@sodetsurikomigoshi2454]

The Lord's Prayer debunks "personal Lord and Savior", "sola fide", and "sola scriptura" in ONE go.

[@reznet2]

Surprised this channel isn't more popular? Must be new haha

[@shamelesspopery]

Brand new! Subscribe and help it grow 😁

[@michaelgrantham4994]

What a very good and historical explanation Joe!

[@MusicEnjoyerSLS]

Watched this before praying my Night Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours. Same one I pray every single Saturday night, year round. Great video, thanks!

[@eyefisher]

I understand what Jesus is saying here much more than I did before I converted. I used to have a sense of pride in how I could pray on the fly out loud, and loved it when people would compliment how well I would pray. But that made it all about me, and not about God.

[@Sheilamarie2]

Thank you, Joe, and God Bless You!

[@danielhoven570]

I feel a lot of pressure around my Protestant friends to pray “spontaneously,” but I want to use liturgical prayers going forward.

[@jude3andlaura2]

I think we could easily show from "The Shema" a prayer that was repeated daily by the Jews and Jesus, that Jesus wasn't condemning prayers that are repeated. Just saying...

[@kainosktisis777]

Shalom, & thank you for that. In our Liturgy of the Hours, the 3 prayers recited at the beginning are always directly taken from the Psalms. One that I have grown to love is Psalm 63: O G-d, You are My G-d, for You my soul is thirsting. My body pines for You like a dry weary land without water. So I gaze on You in the sanctuary to see Your strength & Your glory. For Your love is better than life. My lips will speak Your praise. There’s more, but those opening verses always get to me. Update: I need to correct myself. The 3 readings at the beginning of the LOTH are mainly the Psalm. On occasion, it will be from another writing of the OT - Exodus or one of the Prophets, but at the very least there will be at least 2 readings from the Psalms - or 3.

[@LambsServant]

Thank you, Joe. Awesome video.

[@mulipolatuuumataafatiufeaa4964]

Great talk on this subject of Repetitive praying brother. May you receive wisdom of God to guide you with your defensive talks?

[@MrsYasha1984]

This was great, thank you! Also, I love the name

[@TravelingBabyCompany]

Man I just can't say enough about how much I enjoy your style of explanation. You have a way of breaking things down and then summing them up that is so clear. I am an ex protestant turned Eastern Orthodox and would love to see you do a video one day contrasting the differences between Catholicism and Orthodoxy.

[@AgapeJiuJitsu-nz4vj]

Wow amazing!!! Beautiful teaching brother . Soli Deo Gloria

[@thetruthinhim8862]

As a current Protestant, I approve this message. 😊

[@pepeinno9336]

Joe is truly amazing! You can sense his legal mind in the way he argues!!!

[@gregnorthway3814]

Most excellent analysis!!

[@williammcenaney1331]

The Psalms convince me that formal prayer is excellent Formal prayers are much more beautiful that anything I can compose. So I suggest that they glorify God much more than any prayer I invent. To see what I mean, read the collects from the Traditional Latin Mass and prayers by St. Thomas Aquinas. St. Thomas said that his best thoughts came to him when he prayed before the Blessed Sacrament. Maybe he composed his most elegant prayers because he made holy hours≥

[@Sevenspent]

I myself tend to do 2-3 formal prayers and one personal prayer at the end of the day.

[@KT7217-w5u]

Speaking as someone who is very familiar with typical Protestant prayer circles. When everyone is praying spontaneously it is common to feel a lot of pressure to say something novel and interesting when your turn is coming up. Many people feel inadequate and self conscious compared to their more eloquent friends and may not pray out loud at all or be so self conscious that they just ramble. Furthermore, many who struggle to know what to say in groups struggle to "know how to pray" when alone and end up with next to no prayer life because they have been given spontaneous prayer as the only model. Structured liturgical prayer is an equalizer and allows more shy/uncreative types to relax and participate in prayer in a meaningful way.

[@TheThreatenedSwan]

It should be pretty obvious how attaching a particular meaning that is understood almost automatically by a group to a repetitive prayer is useful since that's what's done with language in general

[@thedon978]

Protestants added non biblical words to the Our Father. What happened to sola scriptura?

[@danielalovejesus7912]

thank you

[@AllanKoayTC]

unfortunately, the vehemently anti-Catholic McArthur has done a lot of "astonishing misreadings." he even said Jesus calling Mary "woman" is just the Lord being dismissive of her. (gasp, shock and awe!)

[@nicolaalbury8290]

That comes from Calvin

[@StanleyPinchak]

@weaponofchoice-tc7qs The Ethiopian Eunuch indicates otherwise. His story points to the necessity of a guide or tradition to properly understand the scriptures.

[@StanleyPinchak]

@weaponofchoice-tc7qs I can see how the Ethiopian Eunuch is the exception that proves the rule, especially in consideration that the earliest New Testament writings are from 20 years after the Great Commission. The Jewish Christians would have been steeped in the Old Testament, but the Gentiles would have learned everything de novo by the oral teachings of the Apostles. Neither group had access to the New Testament corpus.

[@marcondespaulo]

I'm only at 13', but IIRC, Isaiah also condemns empty words and "just going through the motions"

[@cozyhomemakingvibes]

Awesome

[@davidramsey2566]

You’ve deepened my understanding of so many things in so many of your videos. I really can’t thank you enough.

[@windowsoflife]

Excellent

[@maryloomis8075]

Oh my! Joe, finally someone to explain the truth of the 'daily bread' in the Lord's prayer. Not since reading the book: the Secret of the Rosary by St. Louis de Montfort, have I seen/heard good testimonies for those apologists who try to explain our faith,...to those of other religious denominations. Thank you so much for this video. God bless your ministry! BTW, when I pray the rosary /Lord's prayer I always pray for more good/holy priests to be called to give us "our Daily Bread"

[@canibezeroun1988]

Why was this so good?

[@jodieelizabeth4905]

Amen 🙏

[@jenniferrogoff8459]

Intimacy with Christ Yes but just personal no! Good job Joe! Awesome points!!!!

[@calebnei8276]

Actually the catechism in the beginning of the section on prayer talks about our personal relationship with God. Paragraph 2558.

[@jenniferrogoff8459]

@@calebnei8276 thanks! Yes it is personal but not just personal.

[@inhocsignovinces6472]

Thank u

[@christopherpowell1950]

I really enjoy this channel but I listen as i work, and there's too many ads to keep pulling my phone out of my pocket every 3 or 4 minutes sometimes

[@mangispangi]

Please do a KZbin shorts just on the bit about the changing of marriage vows and reinventing marriage before gay marriage!

[@johnchacko1425]

it's become so commercialized

[@aglenrios]

Extremely well researched.

[@haydongonzalez-dyer2727]

Awsome

[@joachim847]

"The vow makes the couple." 💯

[@DanielFernandez-jv7jx]

I think the key here is not the question of repetitiveness but the question of its vanity. "Like this" or "in this manner" does not necessarily imply the repetition of those very words. I can simply mean that the Lord is giving us an example of a prayer that is NOT vain, or useless, because it is directed to a loving God with love and trust and covers the real necessities of our lives. In that case, naturally, the repetition of whatever wording you use, would not be in vain as long as the repetition does not dull our minds as to attention and intention. So there is an implied aspect of quality control here pointing to the quality of our attention and intention (note I'm leaving out feeling for reasons to lengthy to explain here). Like most things Jesus said, there are levels that become apparent to a sincere and discerning heart, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

[@jaimemorgan5323]

All Protestant songs of worship are forms of oft-repeated prayer put to music. I cannot fathom how many Protestant prayers must be frustrated and stunted by the fear of repeating any string of words offered to the Father in the past. How is one to keep track? Do they give flexibility to their own rule by allowing for the same phrase to be uttered at some point in the future? A week later? A month? A year?! Imagine straining over a new way of saying the same thing every day or week or month...just for the sake of saying it differently! There is nothing natural, organic, or spontaneous about that.

[@Catholiclady3]

I've pointed this out to them, and they say "songs are different!" Lol

[@wesleynovak7716]

Great video.

[@donflores5227]

I thing that the formal prayer is a means of putting ones mind in a place that is pleasing or acceptable to God

[@kathleenherighty3401]

When I hear this notion of Jesus as "our personal God and savior" I think no, I am called to a sacramental relationship with God through Jesus and you cannot separate Christ from His mystical body, the Church. Is this right? I really enjoy your lessons. Thank you. God be with you.

[@fre7717]

i like to say the prayers in the psalms as well. you could probably get one for your situation. my dad is 82 yrs and i asked him to say 102.

[@mulipolatuuumataafatiufeaa4964]

This man John MacArthur is out of his mind. He has been misinterpreting the Bible since he was so young up to this time. What sadden me is that he repeatedly speaks of the same objections on these issues despite being rebutted by Catholic Apologists. He is out of his mind because he doesn't have time to listen to the explanations of the Catholic Church. He has a hardened heart like a rock and never bother taking in a single word from the Catholic Church on the Bible interpretation. But he interprets the Catholic Bible which is not his Bible. How come he talks about the Bible when he uses a Catholic property? Put up John MacArthur or shut up. And who authorize you to use and interpret the Catholics Bible?

[@PatrickSteil]

Search in his sermon on John 6. Hilarious. When he gets to the part about “unless you eat my body and drink my blood” his only comment is something like “now this is where the Catholics mess everything up “ and skips over it!

[@PatrickSteil]

@WeaponOfChoice Funny thing is he thinks he follows sola scriptura but all of his beliefs including his anti Catholicism is part of his tradition. None of us exist without tradition.

[@PatrickSteil]

@WeaponOfChoice Yep! What an amazing thing that the men called to be our Spiritual teachers and conduits of the Sacraments- our Priests - voluntarily take a vow of celibacy and poverty. Wow. That the world doesn’t see this huge difference is a shame.

[@PatrickSteil]

@WeaponOfChoice Exactly... it seems that the original pride of "protesting" against the Church has grown into making the Bible an "idol". They worship the Bible rather than the entirety of God's Word and the Word Incarnate, our Lord Jesus. Catholics are so focused on worshiping our Lord, that at every Mass we unite in "communion" with our Lord both spiritually and physically and He is how we worship. The Eucharist is the center of our Worship and not the Pastor behind the Pulpit.

[@crsw7041]

Technically a promise of obedience

[@user-wo2kr1gu1c]

Also when you always asked God for favors all the time for yourself, your family and friends then that is vain repetition but the Hail Mary is a contemplation of the Life of Jesus and our Blessed Mother. How can that be of vanity? It is actually humility and patience on our part as humans because we ask the Blessed Mother to pray for us and to contemplate on how our Lord sacrificed Himself for us humans, that is not vanity, that is thinking beyond oneself..

[@TheThreatenedSwan]

It's honestly insane how many protestants repeat the line about repetitive prayer to avoid even prayers from the Bible that are seen as too Catholic but then what do they do with the Psalms? And they repeat the same songs, which they view as worship, over and over

[@KarenBoman-pb3vn]

I believe you are misinformed about protestant.

[@TheThreatenedSwan]

@@KarenBoman-pb3vn No, many protestants say this about repetitive prayers, but they don't really believe it. They just say it to be anti Catholic

[@Vidmr2407]

One last thing Joe. I find compelling arguments all over the place for different views on so many of your topics. For some reason, I find you more trustworthy - I need that. Same thing goes for news sources and auto mechanics. I’m not saying your arguments are not better, but that I am not able to evaluate complex arguments on every subject under the sun.

[@acr164]

The last verse of the book of Judges sums up the protestants, IMHO

[@billveek9518]

Well stated, being protestant is being uneducated of the truth

[@user-oz2ki8fr2y]

I'm not clear as to what the central point is. On two occasions Christ was asked how we ought to pray, He responded with the Lord's Prayer, as a model for Christian prayer, a template perhaps. As a christian I often recite it, nevertheless prayer is also a conversation with God, Jacob, Abraham, David, Moses all had prayerful conversations with God. Spontaneous prayer can,, equally be considered, thoughtful and perfectly coherent reverental and supplicatory. Our father wants us to come before Him in prayer, and prayer can take many forms.

[@alisterrebelo9013]

The central point was to blunt the force of the argument made by many Protestants that Catholic repetition of the Our Father or similar Biblically worded prayers is inherently wrong. The message of the Gospel is to pray sincerely, and we Catholics say, that using a formal prayer is a good way to achieve that because you don't have to waste brain power making up a unique prayer on the spot. Reciting the Our Father from memory and devoting all your attention and focus on God is much easier to achieve.

[@perhael]

Can you get a little closer to the mic Joe? We all need more Catholic ASMR. (Not a joke)

[@revealedministries3840]

John McArthur condemns anyone who doesn’t think like him- even other Protestants. As a Protestant, I can say that many Protestants pray scriptures such as The Lords Prayer. It is very widely used in worship and prayer.

[@marilynmelzian7370]

I agree. The church I grew up in was considered evangelical, but we prayed the Lord’s prayer at every service. We also had formal prayers that we said at every meal. The word evangelical is used popularly to include a very broad range of theological positions and worship practices.

[@wesfarmer83]

Joe, can you cite for me the statistics you quoted about Catholic rates of divorce being lower than Protestant rates, and atheists being lower than Protestants as well? My own priest has said to me that currently Catholics are divorcing at the same rate as everyone else and I would like to know the truth objectively. Thanks in advance and God bless. You’re my favorite apologist, by the way.

[@_thomase]

@Joe I had always wondered when praying the Our Father and saying, "... give us this day our daily Bread" and we know we are not going to be going to daily Mass, should we refrain from saying the Our Father? It seems to me that we are asking our Father for Jesus's Body and Blood and then not doing our part to receive it.

[@alonsoACR]

I got two humble thoughts on this. First, we ought to remember everything Jesus said comes with layers upon layers of meaning. This would, thus, go in harmony with St. Augustine's suggestion to think of it in all three meanings at once: Physical bread, spiritual bread, and Eucharist. Second, remember that the prayer is communal, it says "give *us* this day *our* daily bread" Fittingly, Catholics celebrate Holy Mass every single day. Some parishes several times a day. So somewhere someone is receiving the Eucharist. So give us, Lord, our bread. We are ONE body, after all. The Eucharist is a community event, as any sacrifice to the God and Father of the Universe has been since literally forever. That's what I think. Heshmeyer (or another) may correct, or expand, I don't claim to have all the answers. Peace be with you, brother.

[@_thomase]

​@@alonsoACR Oh I like that interpretation better as it brings our Father's family together as one. We remember we are not one of ourselves, but a heavenly family. Well done.

[@alonsoACR]

@@_thomase Thank you! As St. Augustine said, we are all citizens of Heaven

[@espressocoffeeshine4346]

You stated, "Isn't spontaneous prayer more heart felt?" Is spontaneous murder the worst kind of murder? No, planned murder is the worst kind of murder, so the planned prayer, which liturgical prayer is planned, not spontaneous, has to be 1st degree prayer, from that point of view. A priest in a homely once said in mental prayer. If you have a wonderful meditation on a mystery in the life of Christ while that is good in itself. What is most important is making a personal resolution in accordance to some aspect of that meditation or mystery. That is, when our will resolves to imitate Christ in a specific Divine essence of His, our prayer ascends to it's highest degree. An act of the will supersedes and act of the heart, yet that's only because of our fallen nature. In heaven our hearts and wills will be in perfect alignment. At any rate, in time, often we have to will something in prayer that our heart is not yet aligned with.

[@revealedministries3840]

This is a very good teaching. However, consider perhaps less blanket reaction to phrases like “personal relationship.” We absolutely have personal relationships with Christ. We will stand before God and give an account of our own lives and hearts- which is what makes it amazing that he gives us grace for our sin, when we repent. He loves us. He speaks to us by his Spirit, as Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice.” Abraham, David and every other saint and person of faith had a deep walk with the Lord. This is what is intended the phrase “personal” relationship. However, it is very true, that in Protestantism many people who are not devout followers rebel against fellowship of the saints in the body of Christ. I have always taught that God wants a personal relationship with us- not a private one. This is much different than an isolated experience. I love the phrase “you cannot decapitate the head from the body..” Absolutely! This issue is not an “us against them” issue where Catholics and Protestants have to choose to either have what some would consider a distant and formal relationship with God or a private one cut off from God. I think that both camps have both devout, God-fearing, Spirit-filled, committed believers and prayer warriors and both camps have the Luke-warm, uncommitted compromisers. It would be so lovely if there was less us vs. them in the body and more “us”. For we see the movement of God, the work of the Spirit as much as brothers and sisters around the world in different camps. God gives the Spirit and the miracles and he causes his church to grow in his Son Jesus Christ.

[@EricRednecke]

Doesn't vain repetitions mean pagan type chants or mantras like in yoga? When we, Catholics, pray, it's not done vainly. Sure, in times of stress, we may rush, but we still mean our prayers.

[@SevereFamine]

Yes, I was thinking the same thing.

[@calebnei8276]

Actually the catechism in the beginning of the section on prayer talks about our personal relationship with God. Paragraph 2558.

[@bourbonrebel5515]

He isn’t denying a personal relationship

[@DannyLoyd]

In Matt 5:29 Jesus tells you to pluck out your eye if it causes you to sin, do you practice this?

[@riverasamuel911]

Also you know what? now that it comes to mind. I have been in pentecostal services, and battalogeo or vains repetitions, seems awfully similar to the "speaking in tongues" lol

[@AdrianNgHK]

Good talk. Having said that, my experience with Catholics is that they CANNOT pray spontaneously. This is a problem. The paradigm in which Catholics are to view God, is as a Father and conversly ourselves as sons. Protestants prolong the prayers hoping length will move God. Catholics want an exactitude of words hoping that the right incantation will move God. I just attended a Protestant conference and noted that their prayers have become surprisingly short. Being a priest is a sacred duty. I think it's incumbent on them to look at the liturgical words of the day before the Mass so that they words truly reflect their heart's desire. Finally, it is said that GenZ values authenticity. Especially on social media, it would be good if Catholics witness mindfulness when they pray.

[@StanleyPinchak]

Read the black, do the red. All the liturgical innovations since Vatican II have done nothing but empty the pews faster. Thank God there are tradition minded priests and Uniates to seek refuge from the curse of liturgical modernism.

[@alonsoACR]

I got a few thoughts on this. First, as a long time Catholic, I've never met any Catholic that lacked the ability to pray spontaneously. In fact, rote memorization makes it trivial. You may have meant improvised prayer. This is also false. Further, please do not call it incantation. We believe the Father is God, and thus deserves respect. Also note that your bit about people having to speak casually and irreverently to have an intimate relationship with their (earthly) fathers is nonsense. Maybe in your culture you do that. I do speak from my heart to my dad, but always with some measure of respect. Edit: I missed the last paragraph. Authenticity can happen with formal or informal prayer. Authenticity is about intention, that's it. Also mindfulness is a Catholic thing so that doesn't hold up. The Carmelites wrote a lot about it, look it up.

[@BobBoldt-sp1gr]

Nobody who reads the Bible without an agenda would conclude that Jesus conveyed we are saved by “faith alone”. He talks about works virtually every time He discusses how to reach Heaven. Evangelicals claim to be “Biblical” (even though most of them have no idea where the Bible came from), yet have no problem disregarding any verses that contradict their man-made (Luther) dogma. The only time the New Testament mentions faith alone is in James. And it says we are not saved by faith alone. So much for keeping it “Biblical”. In fact, “Biblical” means the Bible, except verses I don’t like (John 6). But assuming that someone could honestly still wonder about this question, all one needs to do is read the early church fathers. St Justin Martyr’s First Apology obliterates faith alone. So do the rest of the church fathers. Do you think Luther’s interpretation of the Bible in the 15the CENTURY is better than the interpretation of the saints who were within a generation or two of the Apostles?

[@IJS92]

Vain repetition lies more with the person who prays than the prayer. God looks at the heart not the words.

[@jldisme]

❤

[@rciotola100]

As a "protestant", I appreciate your videos and enjoy learning things and sometimes having my mind changed. But saying that protestants "redefined marriage" because sometimes they write their own vows is really weak. Had a hard time paying attention to your other points after that.

[@SevereFamine]

The vows define the marriage, so redefining the vows by definition redefine the marriage. If that offends you, sorry.

[@alisterrebelo9013]

If vows are excluding central themes such as "till death do us part", then this is not a Biblical marriage, which leaves open the door for easy no-fault divorces. The couple are strapping on life-vests even before stepping into the marriage boat.

[@IJS92]

Vanity of vanities!

[@brendansheehan6180]

I'm going to become rich and get Joe on retainer for any potential legal battles.

[@adamnowak926]

👍

[@RJ-ku2mh]

Im Catholic but doesnt, "pray in this way" in the Greek mean pray in this manner...ie format, not necessarily repeat this verbatim.

[@alhilford2345]

"...pray this way..." is the excuse that non-Catholics use to mock our Catholic prayers and liturgies. Bad translation. The original Latin Vulgate says... "Sic ergo vos orabitis..." "Thus therefore shall you pray..." (Douay-Rheims) "This then is to be your prayer..." (Knox Bible)

[@canibezeroun1988]

Extemporaneous prayer is overvalued. Praying from the heart led me to asking God for the ability to sin more. The heart is deceitful right. Additionally, once I saw that the Hail Mary was taken from Scripture, and that the Divine Office was literally the Psalms, I immediately questioned if my own words were better than the inspired texts. The answer was no, but certainly, if I'm petitioning I will use my own words as well.

[@Jon-dv8pk]

Confused I thought the psalms were songs not prayers

[@alonsoACR]

There's hardly a difference here. It's poetry. Those can be recited or sung.

[@benjaminfalzon4622]

What is a protestant? I'd like to know! Is it someone who believes in the word of God, instead of the Pagan Catholic Church's false teachings?

[@DannyLoyd]

Did you know his kingdom is here? In Mark 9:1 Jesus says, "there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God come with power". So, when did the POWER come? Acts 1:8 Jesus told his apostles" you will receive POWER from on high when the HS falls on you" and he goes on to say it would happen in Jerusalem. This happens in Acts 2 where Peter preaches the first gospel sermon, the kingdom/church started. In Col 3:1 it says that God has transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son and in Heb 12:28 it says that we have received a kingdom that cannot be shaken. So, how do you get into the kingdom? Acts 2;38 tells you how. About Faith alone, in James 2 it plainly says "NOT BY FAITH ALONE". As far as the Eucharist, I remember the Lord's death by partaking of the Lord's supper every Sunday and we have examples in scripture of that, but I have yet to read where the NT Church partook of the Eucharist

[@RexKochanski]

Paul warns the Corinthians about receiving Eucharistic Communion unworthily (ch. 11). What are you talking about?

[@alhilford2345]

Read the early Church Fathers.

[@jamesmonahan9408]

Johnny Mac knows more than Jesus, dont you know this? Jesus repeated the same prayer 3 times in the garden.

[@benjaminfalzon4622]

Joe missed the whole point of the Lord's prayer, as usual ...The Lord's prayer is the only prayer that I know of, that came straight from the mouth of God himself for us, it covers everything. Every verse in the Lord's Prayer means exactly what it says. God doesn't say any words that don't need to be said. unlike Joe, who just rants on and on for an hour and in the end he gets everything wrong, as always. On the other hand, it takes less than one minute to recite the Lord's prayer as Jesus said it, and things will be alright.

[@BensWorkshop]

On forgiveness there is also the debtor servant to hammer it home that you are forgiven in the measure that you forgive. Ooops... And there comes Joe with it.

[@Jon-dv8pk]

Confused calling all mighty God our father is not emotional

[@michaelogrady232]

The so-called reformers teaching according to the father of lies.

[@PatrickInCayman]

Much of gotquestions is basically un-researched hacks

[@RealSeanithan]

I disagree with the statement, "The KJV version cannot be what Jesus is condemning here." I'm fine with the statement, "How many interpret the KJV in this instance is incorrect."

[@alisterrebelo9013]

And by what authority, do you tell those who focus on the "repetition" more than the "vain" that they are wrong?

[@RealSeanithan]

@alisterrebelo9013 I have no authority to tell anyone that applying modern beliefs to a 400-year-old translation is incorrect. You are, therefore, free to apply whatever incorrect interpretation to whichever translation you like as far as my authority goes. Just the same way that I have no authority to insist to you that 2+2=4: as far as my authority goes, you can apply whatever sum you like to 2+2. As it turns out, authority is independent of truth.

[@alisterrebelo9013]

@@RealSeanithan I think you meant to say truth is independent of authority. In any case, it would be good of you to stop strawmanning me. I haven't said 2+2 equals anything other than 4. Biblical truth is much more complex than mathematical truth. Let me give you a concrete example. Lutherans read the Bible, claim the Holy Spirit guides them, and say Baptism regenerates. Anabaptists read the Bible, claim the Holy Spirit guides them, and say Baptism does NOT regenerate. Which of the two is preaching a false gospel?

[@RealSeanithan]

@alisterrebelo9013 neither is teaching a false gospel. The Anabaptists are teaching a false teaching, but the gospel is strictly the "what", while whether or not baptismal regeneration is true is the "how". Further, there was no "strawman": if you're going to (quite ridiculously) claim my example was fallacious, at least call it a false equivalence. You may note that I didn't originally point out your original post's implication that my lack of authority to declare some interpretation wrong in some way diminished the truthfulness of the statement that the interpretation was wrong, even though that's a textbook argument from authority. When people just screech the names of logical fallacies back and forth, a fall into the "fallacy" fallacy is inevitable, and that does neither party any good.

[@alisterrebelo9013]

​@@RealSeanithan Every claim made by anyone is done via an appeal to some authority. In the case of mathematics, the appeal is to the authority of "logic". In the case of science, it is to the authority of "logic" and the mind of the scientist and the theory they are putting forth amongst others. In your condemnation of the Anabaptist, your appeal is to two authorities: 1) your mind (your interpretation) of the 2) Bible I'm not disagreeing with the authority of #2, I'm disagreeing with #1. Where in the Bible, does it give the person that is you, the authority to declare truth/heresy which is binding to all Christians?