“Seen in this light, Jesus’ words appear with even greater force, reminding us that Christian prayer is not an exercise for ascetics, but emerges from the needs of real people. The bread we are to seek, then, is not my but our bread. Jesus wants us to pray, not for ourselves but for our brothers and sisters. In this way the “Our Father” becomes a prayer of empathy and solidarity. We see such a desire to assist others in the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand, where Jesus also anticipates the ultimate offering of Himself in the bread of the Eucharist, which alone is capable of fully satisfying our hunger for God Himself.”

At the General Audience, Pope Francis continues his catechesis on the Lord’s Prayer, “Our Father.” Vatican, 27 March, 2019.