Deliver us from evil

Thus far, by God's grace, I'm having a really prayerful Lent. I'm thoroughly enjoying praying the Way of the Cross in song, at least once every weekend with this group. Folks are clearly being touched by our ministry; every service thus far has been a very prayerful time.

In a not-directly-related matter, I found myself reflecting this weekend on The Lord's Prayer, certainly not for the first time, but in a new way. A phrase we pray so casually near the end of this prayer has really struck me afresh.

I've heard this phrase interpreted from a couple of different viewpoints: deliver us from "the time of trial," that is, the tribulation; deliver us from Satan's grasp for all eternity; deliver us from external evil that might otherwise wreak havoc upon our lives or our loved ones. I suppose I'm still aware of what I heard prayed at one of the national prayer services following 9/11. To paraphrase: our gravest threat will never be what others might do to us, but what we might become in response to them.

If that is so, the real evil from which I must pray for deliverance is that which I might choose, either wittingly or in ignorance.

We have a frightening ability to rationalize all sorts of behaviors that, if we ever engage in a clear-headed analysis, we'd have to agree represent objectively selfish and hurtful choices. These are the things that we know to be some sort of evil (see torture; indefinite "POW" internment when there's no government to release them to; abusiveness or mere rudeness toward others; sexual impurity; etc.) but we choose them anyway, often rationalizing why it isn't merely okay, but in fact necessary. It is right to pray that we be delivered from these temptations.

At other times, we truly believe that there is no harm, and perhaps even that there is ultimate good, along a particular path. I believe it is important to pray that God deliver us from this "ignorant" evil, as well. It isn't that I expect God would condemn us for our ignorance. Rather, knowing - as well as I am able - the abundance of love God has lavished upon me, I pray that I would live in a way that maximally responds to and propagates that love.

As we pray at each Mass, "Deliver us, Lord, from every evil."