What could be more characteristically Catholic than to beginprayer with the words “In the Name of the Father, and of the Son,and of the Holy Ghost”? When the disciples asked Our Lord to teach them how topray, Jesus responded: “Thus therefore shall you pray: Our FatherWho art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. [St. Matthew 6:9] “When you pray, say:Father, hallowed be Thy Name, Thy kingdom come.” [St. Luke 11:2]Christ’s entire life was devoted to the Father, to accomplish His Father’swill, to reveal the Father to us and to make known the Father’s love for us. OurLord Himself, as man, prayed continually to the Father and would not even takea morsel of bread without thanking the Father. Both as the Son of God and theSon of Man, His devotion to the Father was complete and absolute (“Father,not My will but Thy will be done!”) and loving (“Father, forgive them,for they know not what they do.”) Throughout His discourse to the Apostles onHoly Thursday night Our Lord told them of the Father. [St. John 13-17] So theCatholic Church has learned from her Divine Founder to honor God the Fatherand, as a loving Mother, the Church teaches us, her children, true devotion toGod the Father. The Church’s orations at Mass are directed principally to theFather, as Jesus Himself has taught us by word and example to “go to theFather.” for the “Father Himself loveth you because you have loved Me..” At ourbaptisms we became children of God the Father and the Holy Ghost entered oursouls crying “Abba, Father!” [Romans 8:15 and Galatians 4:6] Our Lord JesusChrist became man to reconcile us to the Father. In His Face, we seethe face of the Father; in His voice, we hear the voice of the Father; in Hislove, we see the love of the Father. We must, therefore, learn to approach Godthe Father in child-like prayer. Christ told the Apostles “rejoice because “Igo to the Father.” So must we also rejoice to go to the Father.