Thus, the author is sincerely confident that there is no authority that would give a person the right to say the Prayer or would deprive him of such a right, and there is no need for this. Any man who sincerely and lovingly believes in Christ can “shut the door and pray to the Father who is in secret”with the happy and bold hope that his spiritual message will reach its highest goal.

“Hallowed be thy name”

The solemn and profound meaning of this phrase is more easily perceived intuitively than when it is analyzed verbally. I believe that it is closely connected with earthly life, but still more with the ultimate goal and a future different order of Being. Apparently, this phrase contains a deeper meaning. Having the right to call the Creator of the Universe “Father,” a person can imagine more about himself than he is allowed. This second phrase, which a person pronounces with reverence, love and of his own will – as if swearing an oath to this life and eternity – returns him to his place. This place is much simpler and more modest than heaven, where the highest incorporeal beings live and – most importantly – the One to whom a person wants to show his respect by saying the Lord’s Prayer.

Based on my logic and intuition, I firmly believe that the people living on this earth are by no means the only or supreme conscious beings who utter a phrase of this kind. While a system of planets like the solar one is a rare occurrence, yet in view of the vast number of stars in the universe there can be little doubt that at least some of them form planetary systems, and it is likely that there may be other inhabited worlds besides our earth. Since religion is regarded not as a creation of the imagination of man, but as a supreme reality revealed by the Divine Power, it will be natural to suppose that other intelligent beings, such as the disembodied angels, enlightened by the same Divine Providence and mentally developed, according to the same fundamental laws of the Universe, express in a similar way their reverence for the Creator.

Religious teachings of all times claim that in addition to material life there are higher spiritual beings who are considered immortal, free from any restrictions associated with their physical existence, independent of earthly gravity, capable of appearing wherever they want or moving faster than lightning. These higher beings should not pray for the coming of the Kingdom of God, since they themselves inhabit it. But feeling and seeing with their own eyes the splendor, coherence and majesty of the Divine Universe at a level of world perception that we cannot imagine, they probably also express their praise and devotion to the Creator, and one can assume that their words in a human way would sound exactly like “Hallowed be thy name.

By saying the Lord’s Prayer, we mentally connect with all the hundreds of millions of Christians on earth and even with all of humanity, because all people need what is mentioned in the Lord’s Prayer, even if many do not realize it. But the words “Hallowed be thy name” figuratively erase the boundaries of our small planet. By pronouncing them, we feel like we are part of a huge community of intelligent beings of various properties that inhabit the Universe (Angels, Saints, etc.) and are similar to each other in that they also express respect and admiration for the power and strength of their Creator and Father.

“Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

The remaining two sentences of the first part of the Prayer are mentioned together because they are closely related, reflecting the same idea and echoing each other. In fact, the simplest, and at the same time the most correct way to explain what the kingdom is, is to imagine it as a huge community in which everyone does the will of the King.

These phrases can be understood as our prayer that the will of God, proclaimed to us by Jesus Christ, will be fulfilled by people, bringing peace and tranquility to the earth. This explanation is correct, but I believe that it reveals only a secondary meaning of these phrases, while their main and most important meaning is different and points to a certain event that will end the temporary earthly era of compromise and suffering of each person and all humanity – and will begin an essentially new one, which is called the Kingdom of Heaven.

Analyzing the meaning of the words “Thy kingdom come,”we see two important provisions. To “arrive,” an object must:

Not yet be in the place we are talking about;

Already exist where it should come from.

No doubt these two conclusions are logical if the word “will come” is used in its basic meaning. If we assume that the mentioned Kingdom does not yet exist, then it would be correct to say “Thy Kingdom be established” or “founded,” but not “come.” If, on the other hand, the Kingdom of God mentioned in the Prayer were meant to already exist on earth, then it would be logical to ask for the prosperity and expansion of this Kingdom, and therefore the word “will come” would also not be appropriate. Therefore, the meaning given to the word “will come” is correct.

We find further confirmation of this thought in the words“Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” The first seven words of this sentence, taken separately, could be understood as an indication of the best representatives of humanity, who will gradually learn to live on earth according to the will of God. But the rest of the sentence allows us to understand these words more broadly. While good people who live according to God’s commandments have always existed on earth, there have always been and will always be relatively few of them. In general, life on earth has been and will be a mixture of good and evil.

It seems to me that this conclusion fits well with the basic principles of the New Testament. Any writer turns to the words of Christ, revealing his own ideas about war, persecution, hatred and chaos. Therefore, I believe that the phrase “as in heaven” is found in the text of the prayer to warn us against accepting these two fundamental phrases as something that can be achieved in the heart of one or many people in the course of the development of the modern historical process. Accepting the truth as it is, and recognizing the basic facts of human nature and history, we must come to the somewhat grim conclusion that the socio-political improvements in human society that can be hoped for in the future will always remain a kind of temporary truce, a compromise between good and evil, truth and lies.

The last three words “as in heaven” are introduced to define the basic meaning of the phrases. The Kingdom of God can and does exist in the hearts of a few moral and God-fearing people, but the Lord’s Prayer allows and inspires us to pray not only for this, but also for infinitely higher and happier goals.

When Christ was crucified, His mother, His beloved disciple, and several followers stood at the Cross. In their courageous, devoted hearts they certainly had faith, but outwardly they were helpless, and this whole great tragedy was also a symbol of the Kingdom of God as it exists on earth. The dark forces that incited the ignorant crowd to demand the death of Christ are as evil, active and aggressive today as they were two thousand years ago. Under the unreliable and powerless external shine of civilization, the same vicious monster lives, thirsting for power and ready to overwhelm the world with streams of tears and innocent blood in order to dominate wealth and people.

And today there are people who are peaceful, merciful and idealistic by nature. And they, the best representatives of humanity, often raise their hands to heaven and cry out in physical or moral agony: “God, why have you forsaken us?” Their cry and prayers are addressed to the Powers of Heaven, who, judging by the surrounding reality, seem indifferent to their suffering, as well as to those few depressed men and women with the Kingdom of God in their broken hearts, who watched the life slowly leave the tortured body of Jesus Christ, who heard the laughter and mockery of triumphant evil. This is the Kingdom of God on earth, and the terrible moral collapse of humanity that we are witnessing allows us to conclude that the so-called progress of humanity at the present level of life, even in the future, does not give hope for any success in the spiritual sphere.

Moreover, at critical moments, the very spark of the Kingdom of God in a person’s heart can become a source of suffering. Christ commanded that each of his followers carry the cross assigned to him. This involves more than humbly enduring life’s trials. The cross is not only a heavy burden, but also an instrument of torture and death for the one who bears it. The humble carrying of the cross makes it possible to realize that the small flame of divine light in the human heart is unable to defeat the aggressive forces of evil in the world. We understand even more acutely that truth and perfection in this world are ridiculed and persecuted. It becomes clear that the voice of true idealism is barely discernible in this world, while triumphant evil strengthens its position; it brazenly stares at us from the headlines of newspapers, attacks us with propaganda of lies and hatred from loudspeakers, televisions of the old and new worlds. And the achievements of science and technology, which so noticeably raised the material standard of living of people and gave humanity new wonderful mechanical toys, electricity, airplanes, radio and much more, ultimately turned out to be powerless to raise humanity morally and spiritually.

Of the thousands of cases illustrating this conclusion, we will take only one.

The deliberate murder of a defenseless child, stretching out her hands to the killer and asking for mercy, seemed to cry out to people in whose hearts there was at least something human left. Nineteen centuries ago, King Herod ordered the killing of many innocent babies because he thought, and not without reason from his point of view, that it was necessary to protect his political power. This fact is regarded as one of the greatest crimes in the history of mankind. Poets and artists, philosophers and preachers condemn him with anger.

But even in the twentieth century, the century of enlightenment and civilization, modern “Herods,” in the struggle for new or existing power, proved their readiness to destroy thousands of innocent defenseless children for this purpose, dropping bombs on them, or slowly killing them, dooming them to starvation in the grip of the blockade. They motivate their actions with explanations that are exhaustive for them: this is done for the sake of the prosperity of humanity, the triumph of justice and similar goals. After all, in the end, doesn’t the end justify the means?

In the light of moral principles and, of course, from the point of view of Christianity, often the means are more important than the end. Therefore, when such terrible crimes are committed against humanity, the divine fire, while remaining a source of consolation, also becomes a source of sadness, because we begin to realize the deep and hopeless inner tragedy of humanity. On the pages of the Gospel we find the words of the devil, who said that all power and glory on earth belongs to him, and that he gives it to whomever he wants (Luke 4:6). In the current period of moral impoverishment of humanity, this bold statement seems to be an ominous reality.

Traditional religion explains such moral degradation by original sin, free will and the knowledge of good and evil, but the human soul, being in confusion and despair, cannot be satisfied with such an explanation. While we understand that all adults are sinners and deservedly suffer, there are still thousands of innocent children whose suffering cannot be explained. If this suffering is the price to pay for the ability to distinguish between good and evil, isn’t the price too high, because humanity, having spent thousands of years trying to learn to distinguish between good and bad and paying an incredibly terrible price for it, ultimately did not advance beyond the ideals of Cain. One English admiral chose as his motto “Strike first, strike hard, strike and strike.” In battle, such rules are, of course, necessary, but in our time, the ideas expressed in these words are increasingly becoming the norm of relations between people. If Cain had returned to our world through the centuries and heard such speeches, he would certainly have exclaimed: “My children! And I couldn’t have said it better!”

Living in an era of so-called peacetime, when civilized politeness and traditional hypocrisy protect us from the fierce beast, we are ready to deny its existence and think that all cruelty is already in the distant past. Then it is easy to believe in the triumph of progress and idealism. But in the most difficult moments, the divine flame in a person’s heart can become a light illuminating the path to the Cross and Golgotha, which, while evoking corresponding feelings, do not necessarily imply specific physical torments of the cross. Those who are strong both spiritually and morally can withstand, with God’s help, such a difficult test, although this may require all their faith and desperate courage. Even Jesus Christ, despite His supernatural power, felt Himself exhausted (by humanity) in the Garden of Gethsemane and later on the cross when He exclaimed: “My God, My God! Why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). Both Christ and the greatest of His followers remained devoted to God even when He, it would seem, left them to be torn to pieces by triumphant evil. But such an internal act of the highest spiritual heroism is not always within the capabilities of a weak person, despite his faith and spiritual ideals. The apparent indifference of divine forces in relation to triumphant evil can cause the collapse of human hearts, and even rebellion against God. And this is perhaps the highest degree of human despair and disappointment.

This is not a rebellion of self-confident and radical dreamers whose success is usually associated with the rise to power of a new government of lawless people whose goal is to spiritually break every idealist. This is not the quiet discontent of an atheist who sincerely denies the existence of God because his distorted or undeveloped soul does not allow him to believe in a Higher Power. For such a person there is no God, just as there is no God for a donkey or a stone.

This is the highest spiritual rebellion of a person with faith and ideals, whose faith in the ways of the Lord has been shaken, seeing the unbearable triumph of evil.

The brilliant Dostoevsky explored such an abyss of human doubt and despair in his novel “The Brothers Karamazov.” In one of the conversations, the main character, Ivan, expressed his feelings like this: “… I completely refuse the highest harmony. It is not worth the tear of even one tortured child who beat his chest with his fist and prayed… It is not worth it because his tears remained unredeemed… And if the suffering of the children went to replenish the amount of suffering that was necessary to purchase the truth, then I affirm in advance that the whole truth is not worth such a price. … I don’t accept God, Alyosha, I just respectfully return the ticket to him.” (The Brothers Karamazov. Part Two. Book Pro and Contra. IV.)

The result of such events is the overflow of the human soul with negative emotions. And this aspect of earthly life cannot be denied. When the tension in the soul is too great, a person’s soul may become disappointed and doubtful. It will question not only the highest qualities of people and the fate of all humanity as a whole, but even the moral value and significance of the entire process of life on earth.

Doubt, as a consequence of a serious, sincere and idealistic search for truth, is a completely normal human reaction. When Saint Thomas doubted the truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, despite the testimony of ten other disciples, Christ did not condemn him, on the contrary, He provided him with direct proof that He had risen. When it comes to such a serious and tragic issue, the human soul has the right to seek an explanation.

Since time immemorial, religious thinkers and philosophers have tried to understand the causes of the suffering of the innocent and the triumph of evil. For many years this question was considered insoluble. Various ways to solve it have been proposed, none of which, however, were completely exhaustive.

Fundamentalists usually argue that all the suffering that befalls humanity is the consequences of the original sin of Adam and Eve. Before this, people and animals lived in a paradise where there was no suffering, violence and death. And it was man who, by sinning, harmed himself and all of nature. The biblical account of the fall of man undoubtedly contains many unsolved mysteries.

It is clear that the efforts of individual idealists, who are found from time to time among people, are unlikely to change the basic principles that nature has persistently hammered into all living beings on earth for thousands of years. However, the inner content and spirit of the teachings of Christ and the barely smoldering, but still real Divine fire in the hearts of people, give us a different point of view on solving this problem.

The cause of the previously mentioned despair and rebellion should never be sought in Divine fire and faith. Pessimism and bitterness can arise from earthly ideas about the Kingdom of God in the hearts of people, from worldly idealism and sentimentalism, which may outwardly resemble the Divine flame, but do not possess even a particle of its power. The true Divine flame burning in the heart of man not only greatly increases the ability to understand the meaning and mysteries of life, but is also always a source of great consolation and courage. This happens in spite of all apparent triumph of evil, because it points to the infinitely deep meaning and reality of eternal life. This flame makes a person understand that God is very close, He does not remain indifferent to us, He is nearby and sees everything; Moreover, God always helps and supports us in difficult times, as a rule, invisibly and intangibly.

What is the reason for the suffering of the innocent and the triumph of evil? There is an explanation, and such an explanation, the strength and power of which perfectly matches the scale and significance of the issue. The answer is to be found in the actions and sayings of Jesus Christ. Golgotha ​​and the tragic events preceding the crucifixion should be considered as the most terrible mental and physical torment ever endured by man. And yet Christ voluntarily entered into this suffering. Whatever arguments are used to deny or explain the meaning of the suffering of the innocent, Jesus Christ once again confirmed this meaning by voluntarily submitting to terrible torment; after all, it didn’t cost Him anything to use his unearthly power or simply hide in order to avoid execution. But instead He went to Jerusalem, not listening to His disciples, knowing what was about to happen; and actually brought the tragedy closer by telling Judas “Whatever you do, do it quickly” (John 13:27). The chain of events that was started by Calvary culminated in the supreme glory of the Resurrection, which in turn brought about the greatest spiritual and even intellectual renaissance ever to occur on Earth. But even these enormous visible results must be considered as auxiliary, because the true purpose of Christ’s ministry is the establishment of a higher life in heaven, and not a temporary one on earth.

Deeply comforting ideas about the meaning and outcome of the sorrowful process of earthly life are indirectly indicated in the Lord’s Prayer. If we assume that the text of the Prayer would sound like this: “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth,” then we get a logically meaningful and complete sentence, but with a completely different meaning. In this case, it would be necessary, on the basis of Scripture or other reliable source, to examine the meaning of this future Kingdom of God on earth, the coming of which should be the subject of our prayer.

But the text indicates a completely different meaning. The text does not mention evil and injustice on earth, it does not offer or promise divine or human ways to combat these vices; they are completely ignored as unworthy of attention and subject to self-destruction and therefore of no importance from the point of view of eternity. The Lord’s Prayer instructs us to desire and pray for the Kingdom of God “as it is in heaven.” The last three words express the very purpose of the Prayer.

While giving special importance to this sentence, I will try to analyze their meaning. Logically, this phrase is similar to the following: “The course of classes should be organized as at Yale University.” This shows that a person interested in the subject will need to find out how the course is taught at Yale University.

Leaving the opportunity to discuss biblical evidence to more competent students, I will use another source of information. The facts that I will present have nothing to do with religion. If a child or a person from past times is asked the question: “Where is heaven?” – они бы указали пальцем наверх и были бы правы. Both religious literature and modern astronomy refer to the sun, moon and stars as celestial bodies. It is known that the traditional doctrine of Christianity, comparing the heavens (as a believer sees them) with the heavens of an astronomer, does not find anything in common between them. In this case, the religious doctrine completely repeats the ideas of the early Christians, who believed that the earth is the center of the universe, and the sun and stars are just its appendages, the earth.

Such a universe, in their understanding, was a small space on a cosmic scale, created by God in “six days.” Modern man thinks that the Universe, which was formed probably several hundred trillion years ago from a small clot of energy, will remain as it was for millions of years. Much in the universe is beyond our understanding and perception. In the Universe, such examples of beauty and engineering precision have been revealed to us that even the highest achievements of mankind cannot be compared with them.

I present these facts in connection with my belief that the concepts of “universe” and “heaven” should be regarded as close, but not identical to each other. It must be recognized that this may entail a revision of several traditional ideas about this subject. I must also caution that this should not be taken in a more literal sense than is reasonably permissible. Through a telescope we will not see the heaven of a believer, but we see a vast material structure of some mysterious structure, the meaning and purpose of which is beyond our understanding, but which was undoubtedly created by the Lord and functions according to His Will. And although what we see are phenomena of a material nature, nevertheless, in some cases, inner conviction makes me believe that this is also a shadow of phenomena of a higher order that occur according to a certain Will, as in Heaven. Although I sincerely believe that this is so, yet my own attempt to interpret this Creation is not entirely exhaustive, and I present it here, confident that others will do better in interpreting this matter.

A modern meteorologist is unlikely to predict rain the next day to within an hour. He usually uses the terms “morning” and “day”. In terms of astronomy, astronomers can predict the time and location of an eclipse to within minutes and miles thousands of years in advance. This once again emphasizes the wisdom and intelligence of the Creator, embodied in the celestial bodies He created – the Sun and stars.

The founder of Christianity paid great attention to freedom. How can this be combined with the amazing order of the analogy we have given with visible celestial mechanisms? On earth, order and legality are almost inevitably associated with discipline and restriction of freedom. Turning again to analogies with machines and apparatus, ground and flying, we will discover a feature that, it seems to me, has a deep meaning. To make the earthly mechanism a single whole, we use fasteners, hinges, various wires, etc. If a rivet or cable fails on an airplane, this already means trouble. When one ship tows another, a line is used, attached to hooks or rings, while other parts of the ship that do not “participate” in this are left “indifferent.” If the cable breaks or the ring breaks, the ships will separate. In heaven, things work out completely differently. The Earth revolves around the sun and is held in orbit by an enormous gravitational force equal to approximately three and a half million trillion tons. Contrary to the example of towed ships, in celestial bodies each particle has an attractive force that attracts other particles. Even the smallest grain of sand or drop of water “feels” the impact of every smallest particle of the Sun and is attracted to it. Every drop of blood in our body is attracted by every flaming drop of hot solar matter. This also applies to heat and light, which come not from the sun as a whole, but from its microparticles, and make our physical existence possible. All the above facts are examples of work not limited by strict discipline. This is a kind of “teamwork” of trillions of particles, each of which is free on its own, and yet they together support the work of the so-called celestial “mechanisms”, by which astronomers predict celestial events thousands of years in advance with minute accuracy.

In all mechanisms created by man, friction is present to one degree or another, which creates heat and reduces the efficiency of the mechanism. If we think figuratively, this example is largely true in relation to our human actions. For example, if coordination of efforts or cooperation is necessary between different groups or classes of people in one country or between different peoples in the world, then “friction” will usually arise, which invariably causes “heating” and significantly reduces the effectiveness and results of joint activities. As for celestial bodies, we see that giant astronomical objects move at considerable speed and, as a rule, no friction exists for them.

The mechanisms of celestial phenomena already shed a little light on what happens in that universe – not material – which is beyond our understanding, where attraction or gravity is replaced by good will and love in their highest meaning.

We can imagine many intelligent and powerful beings – representatives of the highest level of life, living in their world completely freely, but, nevertheless, in absolute harmony, when they are united with the Creator by the power of kindness and love. It is into this world that Jesus Christ called us, opening the door for us with His word, deeds and sacrifice. The words “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” is a request that life in complete harmony according to the will of God, which, as we know from Prayer, already exists in the universe, would descend to earth and cover it with its grace. Then the best representatives of humanity will rise to the level of the highest life.

The analogies we have shown in the example of material celestial bodies allow us to draw another conclusion, and this time of a tragic and ominous nature. It is known that the material particles of which the universe is composed function due to the mutual gravitational force, and it is this attraction that causes and controls the excellent reliability and accuracy of the work of celestial “mechanisms”. But let’s imagine a particle that would lose its force of attraction – how would it behave in this case? It’s easy to understand. Under the pressure of light, such a particle would move away from the sun, from the solar system, from our island of the universe, from everything material, because everything material has an end – even the universe, or rather that part of it that is amenable to our perception. Far from life and light – into cold, dead darkness. A professional astronomer would say that it is consumed by the “outer darkness.” Modern scientists believe that space is firmly bound by the gravitational influences of material bodies. Therefore, we can assume that where there is no matter, there is no gravity, there is no space, and a particle, not attracted by anything, is considered to no longer exist.

Here we can draw some parallel with the tragic fates of those unfortunate people who, despite the Higher Leadership, have not developed the necessary qualities in themselves; as a result, their souls are not ready for a future eternal stay in the Kingdom of God. As far as I remember, Tolstoy said: “Sin is not what a person has done, but what he has become.” At the same time, Dostoevsky called the devil “a terrible and intelligent spirit of self-destruction and non-existence.”

A happy and peaceful life in heaven has an alternative, hell, which is more than terrible. This is external darkness, which personifies alienation from God, spiritual death.

In this case, self-destruction does not mean suicide. The feeling and understanding that you are gradually disappearing into endless darkness and your soul and personality are perishing forever becomes unbearably painful when you know that there is the glory of eternal life, and this feeling is incomparably more terrible than that experienced by a prisoner sentenced to death. The latter understands that his loss is only a few decades of earthly life and for him there is hope of finding eternal life after death, while the former understands the enormity of the loss and the complete absence of any hope.

The issue of eternal torment is a very serious one. The concept itself can be understood either as spiritual death or as eternal agony. Certain passages from the Holy Scriptures support both points of view. A universe that is filled with goodness, happiness and selflessness is fully consistent with the spirit of the ideas preached in the Gospel. A universe in which pain would be intentionally inflicted and endlessly expanded would mean a complete negation of the ideas of the Gospel.

In explaining and illustrating his ideas about the Kingdom of God, the author uses known facts about the structure of the material universe. The author believes that this method is very reasonable. The achievements and ideas of people and the entire history of mankind reflect, in addition to God’s Providence, the presence of the stormy and chaotic will of people, as well as some dark, vicious influence. On the contrary, the sun, stars, and all the fundamental laws that control the material universe directly reveal the plan and will of God. And although conclusions can only be drawn with extreme caution, it is still logical that the ideas of the Creator are reflected in His creations, just as among people the ideas of an artist or architect are recognized in his works.

In some basic characteristics of the material Universe, by analogy, one can find the answer to the question formulated earlier – what will be the fate of humanity after the end of Genesis. This question can be formulated as follows: should we accept that, according to the verdict of God’s court, some people will be eternally blissful, and the remaining people will forever suffer and suffer? Or is it to be accepted that the infinite wisdom, perfection and love of God will entail an adequate fullness and intensity of the happiness of His creatures, and will be immeasurably greater than the total amount of grief and agony associated with the process of civilization, and especially with the consequences of the free will of men, because free will can be considered as an integral part of the divine plan, just as electricity or gravity?

Mathematics uses positive and negative numbers. Any number, even infinity, can be taken with a plus or minus sign. In his imagination, a person can feel like a center from which negative and positive infinities stretch in opposite directions.

It is inappropriate to apply the concept of “infinity” to the material universe. As we know, space, matter and energy, light and so on – everything has a beginning and an end. However, most objects in the universe reach such sizes that from an earthly point of view they appear infinite.

And so, analyzing the main characteristics of the material universe, we can draw an interesting conclusion. Considering the confrontation between light and darkness, we can assume that light represents life, goodness and happiness, and darkness represents evil, agony and death. It is easy to see that the content of these concepts is completely different. The power of artificial light created by man is usually very low. The power of sunlight is many thousand times greater. Moreover, there are stars that emit light even stronger than the sun. Thus, there is a light in the universe that is infinitely stronger than any created by man. It would be fair to call it “extremely or infinitely powerful light.”

With darkness everything is different. The expression “boundless darkness” has no meaning. There is only complete darkness. Having descended into a shaft or tunnel several hundred feet deep, a person finds himself in the same complete darkness as the “outer darkness.” Therefore, in contrast to mathematics, man is not at all in the center, he is at the very bottom. He sees and experiences conditions that, from a practical point of view, resemble darkness as completely as it exists. This is still within his capabilities. But light can be extremely or incomparably stronger than anything produced or observed by man.

The same applies to heat. The maximum temperature a person can produce is three to four thousand degrees Celsius, which is the temperature of some electric ovens. The temperature inside the Sun is about forty million degrees, and on some giant stars it is even higher. The case with sub-zero temperatures is completely opposite. If the expression “million” or “forty million” degrees above zero is a real temperature, then even a thousand degrees below zero simply does not exist in nature. The lowest temperature in the entire universe is two hundred and seventy-three degrees below zero, the so-called “absolute zero,” although by conducting experiments with liquid hydrogen and helium, scientists obtained slightly lower temperatures. And again, we see that people surpass in their achievements all the smallest and most insignificant in the Universe, but everything highest and significant is not yet available to them and stands very far from the highest achievements of human progress.

All of the above facts regarding the material universe created by God allow us to accept a higher view that confidently rejects the idea of ​​deliberately inflicted eternal suffering. By drawing an analogy with the spiritual world and the divine laws to which the universe is subject, we can only draw some conclusions. The Christian consciousness, inspired not only by the letter, but also by the spirit of the Gospel, refuses to believe that the torment of Christ on Calvary was the cause of even greater suffering for all the inhabitants of the Earth. I sincerely believe that the sufferings of Jesus Christ should be considered the greatest in the universe. And in this, the mysterious significance of this event can extend much further than the fate of humanity.

Just as the darkness and cold that can be achieved on earth are practically the maximum possible, while light and heat are only crumbs of what exists in the material universe of God, the same applies to the universe of the supreme eternal life. The evil, suffering and agony on earth are perhaps as great as in the entire universe. But the happiness and goodness in the divine heavenly universe is undoubtedly infinitely higher, better and greater than any satisfaction or happiness on earth.

In general, it is logical to combine our thoughts about the purpose of earthly life and conclude that it is a priceless gift, an opportunity given to man by God to develop a character and personality that desires, deserves, and is capable of an eternal higher life. But what the higher life is and how the transition of a person’s soul to that world occurs is still a mystery that we will probably never reveal. All that we know about this life are some general ideas left to us by the Holy Fathers and given by Divine Providence in the most joyful and happy moments of our lives.

In almost all religions of the world, God is compared to the sun, and His actions are compared to light. On earth, sunlight is perhaps the most important factor and without it the most important life processes are impossible. While humans and most other creatures derive health and joy from sunlight, some disease-causing microbes are killed by direct exposure to sunlight.

I believe this is similar to what the future holds for the small corner of the universe that humans inhabit. Gradually our earth is moving along the long road of time towards some event of absolute importance. Now we live in a cool state of compromise, our life is a mixture of good and evil, truth and lies. We are not yet exposed to the all-penetrating and all-consuming rays of spiritual light emanating from the Supreme Source. Only a small part of these rays hits the ground, penetrating our almost complete darkness through a kind of screen. And people know something about this light, but this screen prevents its influence on them. This condition forces a person to freely develop spiritually in the direction of good and truth or in the exact opposite direction. Exactly the same conditions, namely, the temporary absence of Divine light, can lead to the fact that some evil spirit can settle in the soul. All living beings must remain under this screen for some time. The reasons for this are not yet entirely clear to us, but this screen is necessary for human freedom of expression.

Most of humanity accepts this existence as more or less normal, and seems to be satisfied with the dubious and extremely unreliable achievements of human progress, but, nevertheless, subconsciously people desire the establishment of another better order on earth. The other part of people, who are at a lower spiritual and intellectual level of development, calls on humanity to completely forget about the higher life and concentrate efforts and hopes only on creating the material values ​​of our earthly life. And they do not always realize what a huge danger this entails for the future life they neglect. Even in this life, such tendencies have never brought anything but great unrest, injustice and suffering.

The best representatives of humanity at all times considered such an existence as a temporary exile. They understood that this very screen separated them from the eternal source of life and spiritual light. And they believed and prayed, expecting a great event, a radical change in conditions that would bring light and destroy spiritual darkness. The teachings of the Founder of Christianity revealed and explained this event, its meaning and purpose in the best possible way. It became clear that a huge mystery is connected with human life in the earthly world and especially with the fate of people after this greatest event, which will complete the present historical process. It also became clear that humanity is infinitely indebted to Jesus Christ for this event and the opportunity to gain eternal life.

There is no doubt that the first part of the Lord’s Prayer is mainly concerned with this final event, which will end our era of compromise, suffering and death, and usher in a new era of light, full of harmony, good will, happiness and eternal life. The strangest and most hopeful aspect of the Prayer is that it regards the person saying it as already on the way to that happy everlasting life. Of course, we can spoil our great heritage by our sins and stupidity, just as we can easily destroy any earthly structure, but the Prayer clearly points to the eternal opportunity offered to us; it is already ours, along with the extraordinary right to address the Creator, King and Creator of the Universe with these simple words “Our Father.”

The ideas expressed imply a much broader meaning, and can be better understood in the light of our knowledge of the universe. We have already mentioned that if we take the opening words and the second and third lines of the first part of the Prayer in their direct meaning, it will become clear that the earth is not yet part of the Kingdom of God, and that it is still deprived of His presence, and that the Will of God is not yet manifested on this earth in the same size and form as in the already existing Kingdom of Heaven. If you do not change the logical meaning of this part of the Prayer, then these conclusions are undoubted. This is much easier to understand if the meaning of the sentences is analyzed using modern knowledge of the universe and the meaning of our planet.

If the universe were the size of the United States, the Earth would be like a small glass test tube with a volume of about one cubic inch. For our case, this scale is the most suitable, although in actual proportion the Earth would be even smaller. Some Great Scientist placed the proper materials inside this test tube, provided the necessary conditions, closed the test tube and left it in the laboratory for some time until the expected reaction occurred. It goes without saying that the Scientist at this time is not inside the test tube, but observes everything that happens inside from the outside. For many chemical and biological processes to occur, it is necessary to create the necessary conditions, place materials and leave them until the reaction is completed. Drawing such an analogy, we can further suggest that, in accordance with His Desire, the Great Scientist can change the course of the reaction in a test tube. In general, His will has already manifested itself in the fact that He began to conduct this experiment. He will wait for the reaction to take place in accordance with His laws, until all the important elements are crystallized and purified of harmful and unnecessary impurities. When this happens, the Great Scientist will open the test tube, extract valuable crystals and destroy unnecessary reaction products.

The above story strives to present a fairly objective picture of the importance of the relationship between the Earth and the Universe from a space-time perspective. This side of the relationship is not difficult to understand, but at the same time it is almost impossible to imagine the degree of difference between the level of our spiritual and intellectual values ​​and the higher order of life in the universe.

Man feels gratitude to his Creator and Teacher, Who in a special way showed him the way from the Earth, a planet that will ultimately disappear with all its contents in the depths of the sparkling vast Universe. This is the most important and profound meaning of the first part of the Prayer.

In the previous pages the author has expressed his belief that the first part of the Lord’s Prayer is mainly concerned with the end of the process of earthly life and what awaits humanity in the Kingdom of God. Clearly contrasting with this aspect, the second part of the Prayer is related to the pressing problems of earthly life. We need bread precisely “for this day,” and not even for tomorrow. This is true for the remaining phrases of this part of the Prayer. Each of them reveals different aspects of our earthly existence and all the material and spiritual needs of real life.

“Give us this day our daily bread”

This sentence primarily has a direct meaning. It can also mean not only food, but also home, clothing, health – in general, everything that a person needs for a normal life. There is no doubt that this phrase encourages, and even insists, that a person himself earn money to satisfy the material needs of himself and his family. A person can ask for help in all the reasonable needs of his earthly life, but his prayers will not be effective without the desire of that person to put all his efforts into the work and do what he can do himself. A person who himself plowed a field and sowed it can pray for a harvest, hoping for help from God, and no one can prove that these prayers are not valid. But if a lazy person prays that his field will suddenly miraculously be plowed and sown, his prayers are practically hopeless. And at the same time, if a person is sick or physically unable to do this himself, then his prayers can bring results.

It can also be assumed that the line of the Prayer for “daily bread” also touches on our spiritual and intellectual needs. And they are also very important for the normal development of a person as an individual. The Founder of Christianity often compared man’s spiritual desires and needs to hunger and thirst, and His gifts to “bread” or “water.” Therefore, although Prayer is completely legal regarding material needs, a person himself must strive to develop both spiritually and mentally. And of course he has the right to ask God for help

“And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors”

This phrase first of all has a direct and precise meaning, but besides this, forgiveness and our attitude towards it affects our future life and preparation for this life.

The last six words of the phrase are a serious warning with a direct and positive meaning. This is a direct appeal to a person to forgive his personal enemies, to stop all evil thoughts against them, before praying for his own forgiveness. The requirements that Jesus Christ set forth in this phrase are clear, therefore every person who wants his prayers to reach the throne of God must submit to them. However, the meaning of these requirements has clearly defined limits. Commenting on this, an ancient Christian monk said that man should live in peace with all people, even with his enemies, but not with the enemies of God. It is obvious that these sayings, as well as quotations from the Gospel, do not relieve a person from the obligation to expose the forces of evil and resist them, which destroy the highest spiritual values. Understanding what these forces are, or recognizing the true enemies of the Lord is a completely different problem, which we will not touch upon. It is enough to mention in this regard that those who sincerely seek the truth will be able to recognize them.

Returning to the consideration of this phrase, let us once again draw attention to the remarkable precision in the use of expressions, which is characteristic of any part of the Lord’s Prayer. For example, the phrase “Forgive us our sins, just as we forgive the sins of other people” would cause many conflicting opinions. But the sentence “As we forgive our debtors” is clear and leaves no doubt as to its true meaning. We are required to forgive the evil done to us. But we are not given the power to forgive evil done to other people.

It is interesting to note that the highest Christian virtue – love – is never mentioned in the Prayer. The most frequently encountered teaching in the Gospel is love your enemy. However, this rule is generally not followed by people; even Christ Himself did not always observe it, if we talk about love in its modern meaning. Although the earthly life of Jesus Christ was the clearest example of humility, meekness and forgiveness – remember how He prayed on Calvary for the soldiers who crucified Him on the cross – we have no reason to say, for example, that Christ loved the high priests, who were His real enemies. And yet these contradictions do not exist. It seems to me that this is due to the fact that the word “love” in the true sense in which it was mentioned in the Gospel is different from the modern concept of love. Currently, love is a feeling and therefore cannot be completely subject to willpower. Love in that evangelical sense meant primarily the amount of kindness shown by one person to another. First of all, this is an internal act of good will, required by Christ from His disciples, and, of course, carried out by Him Himself.

The main purpose of the phrase is to make a person understand that he is required not only to have a good attitude towards his comrades, but also to overcome his bad qualities. This contributes to what is called the process of cleansing our spiritual atmosphere, a process that is much more important than most of us realize.

“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”

The boundless love and good will of the Creator of the Prayer for all humanity has long been known, but I believe that it is necessary to emphasize that the Savior saw through the souls of people and had no illusions about the limitations and sinfulness of man. The helplessness of people in the face of temptation and the weakness that overcomes a person subject to temptation because of certain weak traits of his character are taken for granted by the Author of the Prayer. Prayer is not designed to give a person courage and strength to resist temptation. A person asks only to be spared this danger.

In other words, no matter how strange it may sound for a modern person, Prayer teaches us to ask God not for courage and strength to win a battle, but to pray that the Lord will help us avoid this battle. Of the three propositions in the second part of the Prayer, this is the most mysterious, and, in my opinion, touches on the most important as well as the most dramatic aspects of earthly life. The cause and source of the greatest tragedies in human life goes back to the mysterious factors discussed in these eleven words as much as anything else. This largely contradicts current materialistic ideas about life and history, but nevertheless, it is closest to the truth.

The great difficulty involved in fully understanding this part of the Lord’s Prayer will in no way limit Its value, so long as we have faith in Its Creator. It can be said more simply: we were warned about the danger, informed that we alone could not cope with absolute evil, with Satan, and only the Lord could help us. Of course, a person must make every effort to overcome temptations, but these efforts will be useless if he does not call on God for help.

The main meaning of the first part of the phrase is expressed in the word “temptation”. In principle, the meaning of this word is easy to understand. It can be explained in different ways, but in general it can be thought of as a kind of bargain in which lower-order values ​​are acquired by sacrificing higher-order values. The main meaning of the second part of the phrase is associated with the word “evil one.” The entire proposal will link these two concepts together and establish a connection between temptation and evil. It is the meaning of the word “evil” that indicates the absolute source of evil and sin.

V. Soloviev, a prominent representative of Russian religious philosophy of the late nineteenth century, highlighted this problem very well in his last work, “Three Conversations, or the Tale of the Antichrist.” He wrote it in 1900, just a few months before his death. Soloviev, attaching great importance to this topic, begins his reasoning as follows:

“Is evil only a natural flaw, an imperfection that disappears on its own with the growth of good, or is it an actual force, through temptations ruling our world, so that to successfully fight it you need to have a foothold in a different order of being?”

Thus, Soloviev identified two points of view on this subject. The differences between them are difficult to understand, and sometimes even deeply religious people seriously take the first of them for granted, and the second as a long-outdated superstition. In this case, namely, if evil is considered as weakness, as lack of righteousness and intelligence, or as the inheritance of our animal origins, which are part of our nature, then, indeed, increasing intelligence and good will in people would be a completely sufficient remedy. God’s help would be useful, but not very necessary.

The problem under discussion is more related to the spiritual sphere of life than to the material or intellectual. A detailed study of it using simple reasoning and inference is impossible, but if the interpretation of the matter remains a matter of faith, then a better understanding of the true meaning of the contradictions can be established by comparison with events on the lower level of life. For example, imagine that the material part of a person is his body, and that the factors that influence the development of a person represent goodness and good will, and the factors that cause illness and suffering are evil. This comparison of the physical and spiritual sides of a person is quite reasonable, since they are similar in many ways. Do we have the right to say that any disease can be avoided by leading a healthy lifestyle, eating wisely, etc.? Clearly this is not the case. We know that suffering and illness caused by poor nutrition, lack of fresh air, and overwork can be cured in a similar way. In this case, good can crowd out evil.

But we also know diseases that are completely opposite in nature. Take cholera or pestilence, for example. During epidemics, even a young and strong body, not to mention a sick and old one, is unable to resist these ailments. In other words, the factors – good quality food, fresh air, etc., which we considered as representing goodness, become useless and ineffective.

Some diseases are even more terrible. History knows many cases when epidemics wiped out entire cities and villages, and human corpses became food for wild animals, because there was no one to bury the dead. Even the smallpox epidemic in the last century claimed more lives than the First World War did in a year.

Attempts to defeat these diseases were unsuccessful until people realized that it was not the weakness and inability of the human body that was to blame, but harmful microbes that penetrate inside a person from the outside and spread the infection. Nowadays, most of the above-mentioned diseases have already been defeated, and we can hardly believe that just a century ago epidemics were considered a natural disaster.

We cannot say how similar this physical picture is to the spiritual one, because the spiritual side of human life has not yet been sufficiently studied. Assuming that there is an analogy between physical and spiritual evil, we still cannot claim that one of them is a product of the other. Several conclusions will follow.

It is obvious that evil is present in both the spiritual and physical levels of human earthly life. Many wise men were surprised at the enormous amount of evil. We have seen that in the physical world there are two completely different sources of evil: the first is the weakness and unadaptability of the organism, and the second is the result of the penetration of a poisonous alien force of evil. It makes no sense to deny a similar case for the spiritual side of our lives.

Speaking about resistance to the influence of the second source, we can state that in the physical sphere evil was defeated when people like Louis Pasteur began to fight it. They contrasted their intellect – the highest power – with insignificant microorganisms. Developing our analogy as we discuss, we can assume that there are some mysterious evil forces at the spiritual level of life. According to V. Solovyov, a person is able to resist these forces only if he has support from above.

This conclusion of Solovyov should apply to cases when people and entire nations are faced with truly dramatic manifestations of evil. Such manifestations as gambling, drunkenness and crime must and can be rejected by the effort of the will of man, and one can easily find people who are able to lead a correct lifestyle and resist such temptations.

To the question “what is evil?” people usually answer: gambling, drinking and crime. One cannot argue with this, but the answer only points to specific manifestations of evil. Any person will agree that drunkards, gamblers and criminals are dangerous to society, but few understand that they have no special value to the devil, because the real dangerous evil comes from the other side.

In the most difficult clash between good and evil, namely in the events that ended with Golgotha, neither alcoholics, nor gamblers, nor criminals, as we know, took part. The main cause of the tragedy was hatred of Jesus Christ, cultivated mainly in the hearts of temple-going and holy book-reading Puritans and selfish conservatives. Both of these groups considered their reasons for hating Christ to be just, since they saw Him as their main enemy. It is a mistake to consider the actions of Christ’s enemies as consequences of their wounded pride and selfishness. The cause of the tragedy was a surge of idealism and patriotism, which, however, was quickly suppressed by dirty and perverted pharisaical ideologism.

Many Jews then dreamed of the coming of the Messiah, who would not only liberate their nation, but also lead to dominion over the whole world. This is confirmed by the following interesting historical document:

“What most incited them to rebel against Rome was an ancient prediction preserved in their (Jewish) sacred texts, which stated that around this time one of their people would become the true ruler of the land inhabited by them…”

The same ideas are used by the devil tempting Christ in the desert:

“And the devil said to Him: I will give you the power over all these kingdoms and the glory of them, for it has been given to me, and I give it to whomever I want” (Luke 4:5–6).

Now we will try to directly find out what evil actually is and what its most dangerous manifestations are. In the Gospel there is such a strong and vivid sentence: “He (the devil) was a murderer from the beginning and did not stand in the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks his own way, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44)

Dostoevsky, through the mouth of his Grand Inquisitor, calls the devil “a terrible and intelligent spirit, the spirit of self-destruction and non-existence.”

Contemporary Russian writer Ivan Lukash, struck by the horrors of the godless communist regime, writes:

“The devil is a murderer, a destroyer of soul and thought, a serpent that stings life… Oh, I understand and see: the devil has captured both my Russia and the whole world… The devil is earthly dirt, poisoning the soul, distorting it with lies… in the name of corruption of the flesh, destroying the eternal Word and eternal Thought… The devil is inspiration, crushing everything with the immensity of dead matter.”

This insightful analysis is followed by an angry rebuke of people who serve an unworthy purpose.

“I understand that matter always struggles with the idea that a large amount of burned slag can extinguish any fire, but I don’t understand this crowd, these servants of matter, whoever they are – professors, false prophets, revolutionaries – all of them, like blind mice, want one thing: to replace eternal life with eternal death…”

In accordance with all of the above, the most common manifestations of evil are lies and murder, which destroy the spiritual component of human character, thereby making eternal life impossible. Although the consequences of this destruction are not completely clear, since we do not have the power to look beyond the brink of physical death, great disasters can happen in this life, when the moral and spiritual sphere is polluted by immorality and godlessness and when people stop turning to God. This is the true meaning of the events that took place in Russia after the revolution.

Depending on our faith, we can affirm or reject the existence of the first source of evil. It must be assumed that evil exists outside of human consciousness, and it has great destructive power, as evidenced by the Holy Scriptures.

Humanity as a whole does not understand the full value of the protection from the mysterious forces of evil that Christ offers. In this regard, a person can be compared to a child who was bitten by a rabid dog and does not understand the danger that threatens his life, and that a vaccination given by a wise and kind Doctor can save it.

The author is confident that the last petition of the Lord’s Prayer mainly points to the mysterious and dangerous evil that can appear under the guise of good. The entire historical process and tragic experience of our time indicate that human intelligence and higher scientific knowledge are incapable and powerless to resist evil, while scientific achievements and engineering inventions of man unwittingly turn into accomplices of this very evil, helping to spread lies, fear, hatred and crimes. This once again confirms V. Solovyov’s idea that people cannot resist the deadly poison of spiritual dark forces for long without enlisting support from above. The author is confident that the request for such support, namely for Divine guidance and protection, is expressed precisely in the words “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one“.

“For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.”

In the three Gospels, approximately at their beginning, there are descriptions of a mysterious and mysterious event – the temptation of Jesus Christ. There were no witnesses to this, so what is described in the Gospel must have come from the lips of Christ himself to his disciples, and this confirms the enormous significance of this event. It is also likely that the most important decisions that Christ made at that time not only influenced His further life on earth, but also the entire historical path of mankind. The significance of this strange dialogue in the desert is described by the great Russian writer-philosopher Dostoevsky in “The Legend of the Grand Inquisitor.” According to it, the history of temptation, as described in Scripture, is a very brief summary of two opposing points of view, covering all the main contradictions that determine the tragedies and destinies of mankind in this life; disagreements that extend to the highest level of life.

There is an analogy between the story of temptation and the second part of the prayer. This can be seen from the following table:

Without a doubt, both documents mention factors that influence the actions of people and sometimes determine the destinies of entire peoples and nations. The story of temptation is somewhat reminiscent of a conference at which the future of mankind was discussed and which did not lead to any agreement. The second part of the Lord’s Prayer deals with the same factors, but this time from the point of view of the daily life of a particular person.

In the last sentence of the temptation, the devil claimed that all the kingdoms of the earth, their power and glory belonged to him. However, Christ did not refute this, but ordered us, at the end of reading the Lord’s Prayer, to say the following to Heavenly Father: “For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever…”

Analysis of these extremely important questions reveals a point of view that does not provide a convincing explanation as long as the Earth is considered the center of the universe. The first part of the Prayer shows that the Kingdom of God has not yet come to Earth. The story of temptation refers to the devil’s claim that he owns and controls this world. Unfortunately, this statement is supported by many examples of the past and present; even the Gospel admits this. However, the verse that concludes the Prayer says, “For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.” The sentence says “is,” and not even “will.” However, the position of a kingdom may be questioned if, over much of its territory, the will of the King is largely ignored and alien and hostile forces are allowed to control it. The picture is unclear, and does not become clearer even if we take into account the idea of ​​sin.

But all contradictions disappear and the meaning of the great Prayer becomes clear when we consider the true Universe of God in the light of modern science. The territory occupied by hostile forces, that is, the Earth, is instantly reduced to complete insignificance and the evil force that claims to control it is no longer the ruler there.

Figuratively speaking, it can be compared to a rat hole located somewhere under the floor of a small hut, standing alone in a deep forest, somehow temporarily isolated by quarantine from the vast kingdom. But the Great King, being in His huge beautiful palace, knows perfectly well about everything that is happening around him and about this too. For some time He does not pay attention to this problem, but when the time comes, He will order the floor to be raised and this hole to be destroyed and the parasites destroyed. According to this, the future for any person is either loneliness and gradual destruction, or free eternal life in the light and splendor of heaven.

Conclusion

In conclusion, a brief overview of all the thoughts and ideas inspired by the greatest of prayers, the Lord’s Prayer, should be made.

The words of the address are a bold statement that we are all children of God. On the contrary, the following phrase “hallowed be Thy Name” reflects modesty, indicating the infinite and eternal difference between man and the King of the Universe, to whom we address “Our Father.”

The next two sentences, namely “Thy kingdom come” and “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” again show the great importance of these words. They include an interesting aspect. If we assume that such words would have been addressed to some medieval tyrant by his humble subjects, he would have responded indignantly that his kingdom would exist and his will would be carried out regardless of whether the insolent slave wanted it or not. But strange as it may seem, a person’s free consent matters in the matter of the future coming of the Kingdom of God to earth. The importance and dignity that is assumed by a person when he makes this petition to the King of the Universe for the final outcome of the entire earthly process is rarely realized by us.

By uttering these bold and important words, a person becomes above all needs, ambitions, insults, arbitrariness – all obvious manifestations of evil. Man confidently recognizes the resolution of all the contradictions of this world, the true justification of the turbulent process of earthly life and its only truly worthwhile goal. Man concentrates his attention and desire and relates them to God’s will regarding the ultimate, eternal goal of the entire process of creating humanity. Praying for the coming of the Kingdom of eternal life, truth and glory, a person hopes that he will also find a place there; otherwise, he will experience severe disappointment – praying for the coming of the Kingdom of God if a person is condemned never to see its light.

As already mentioned, the second part of the Prayer is completely different and addresses the urgent needs and problems of earthly life. The sentence about “our daily bread” can be understood as implying all the material, intellectual and spiritual needs of earthly life. Requests for “forgiveness” and “preservation from temptation” indicate not only an internal spiritual struggle, but also how these manifestations of willpower and suffering will subsequently affect a person’s eternal life.

The prayer begins and ends with a simple and reverent glorification of Divine Providence. As if reflecting the entire process of creation, the first sentence refers only to God, “hallowed be thy name,” and the last speaks of “kingdom and power and glory.” This can be understood by referring to the Divine wisdom and power that created and controls the entire material and spiritual universe.

The prayer was conceived by its Author for the purpose of guiding us in the stormy and dramatic process of our spiritual birth. When this process comes to an end on Earth, and, possibly, on other planets of the Universe, the task of Prayer will be completed. It is possible that happy representatives of the highest level of life, chanting the glory and power of their Creator, will continue to use the same three sentences of the Lord’s Prayer, for which there are no barriers either in time or in space.

Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name…

For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever.

Amen.

translation from English by Philip Kokosi and Natalia Makeeva