About the Mass Series: Communion Rite Part 11- Our Father

9. ‘But deliver us from evil’

In this petition we pray to be kept safe from the power of Satan, the Evil One, and all that he stands for.  We pray that God will overcome evil in our lives.  In other words, we pray that evil will not hold sway in our lives and that we keep ever close to God’s heart.

Jesus also included this in his prayer to His Father.  ‘I am not asking you to take them out of the world but ask you to protect them from the evil one’ (Jn 17:15) 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (1994) says:

‘When we ask to be delivered from the Evil One, we pray as well to be freed from all evils, present, past and future, and as a Church community we bring before our Father all the distress of the world that overwhelms humanity.  We are also praying for peace and the grace of perseverance in expectation of Christ’s return’. (Para 2854 p. 686)

Before we can adequately pray this petition we need to be aware of the evil in our lives, both on a personal and community level.  We need to acknowledge that the power of the Evil One is real, and surrender to the power of Jesus, otherwise why would we ask to be delivered from evil in this petition.

Each year at Easter, we renew our baptismal promises.  In those renewal prayers we reject Satan, and all his works and all his empty promises. 

Each day it is a wonderful opportunity to pray with more urgency to be delivered from evil, and to surrender totally to Jesus and to the power of His Spirit.  

May the Holy Spirit give us a new birth, strengthen us and fill us with His light. May we be open to receive afresh the Spirit’s flame.