Welcome to St. Therese Catholic Church

                                      April 19, 2026, The Third Sunday of Easter 

  Reflection on the Lord’s Prayer: “Thy Will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (2)

We continue our reflection on the Lord’s Prayer. A few weeks ago, we reflected on “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt 6:10). In this petition, there are two questions to consider. We have already answered the first question in our last reflection: “What does Jesus teach about the will of the Father?” In summary, we can say that the Will of the Father has five purposes for the salvation of humanity. God wants human beings to be holy as He is holy; to believe in His Son and live by His teachings; to be saved through his death and resurrection; to live in unity and peace; and to have eternal life. If the will of God wants the well being of humanity, then the second question is: What must humanity do to accomplish the will of the Father? Doing the will of God is manifested in the following ways: 

1. Belief in the one true God: In John 12:44, Jesus says, “Whoever believes in me believes not in me but in Him who sent me. And whoever sees me sees Him who sent me.” Here, Jesus emphasizes the unity that exists between the Father and the Son. Hence, faith in Jesus Christ is the foundation for faith in the Father and the Holy Spirit, who is given to us as the first fruit of Jesus’s resurrection.

2. Obedience in action: In the Parable of the Two Sons (Matthew 21:28–32), Jesus teaches that when the father asked his sons to work in his vineyard, one son refused but later repented and went, while the second son agreed to go but never did. Again, in Matthew 7:21, Jesus says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.” Here, Jesus warns against superficial obedience and calls for genuine obedience, which requires repentance of heart, change in behavior, and honesty in action.

3. Spiritual relationship: In Matthew 12:50, Jesus says, “For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” Here, Jesus redefines family by stating that His mother, brothers, and sisters are not just His biological relatives, but rather “whoever does the will of my Father in heaven.” Jesus emphasizes that by obeying God’s will, we become God’s friends and members of His family, the Church. In obeying God, we not only honor and glorify Him, but we are also able to live in peace and harmony with one another.

4. Endurance in suffering: Through His own suffering on the cross, Jesus teaches us how to submit to God’s will even in the midst of trials and unjust condemnation. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed earnestly, “Father, if you are willing, remove this chalice from me; nevertheless, not my will but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). We also have the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who not only “treasured all these things in her heart” (Luke 2:51) but also “stood near the cross of Jesus,” enduring her suffering while her Son was dying on the cross (John 19:25). 

Jesus came to accomplish the will of the Father. We too are called to accomplish God’s will in our lives. God’s ultimate will desires eternal life to all who believe in Christ. Faith in him is not a blind, superficial, or inactive, but rather a faith that requires good works, charity, obedience to God’s commandments, and endurance in suffering to the end. Let us remember one thing: the consequence of obedience is not humiliation, failure, or death; rather, it is victory—the glorious triumph over evil and death—and imperishable joy.                                                       —Fr. Jesu.