Why do we call God “Father”? According to Pope Francis – this is one of the greatest mysteries of the Christian faith – and also our source of hope as believers.

Addressing a crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday, June 7, the pontiff said, according to Catholic News Agency: “The entire mystery of Christian prayer is summed up here, in this word: to have the courage to call God by the name of Father.”

He pointed to Chapter 11 of the Gospel of Luke, where Jesus taught his disciples to pray beginning with the phrase “Our Father.” Throughout the New Testament, Jesus uses the expression more than 150 times to refer to God.

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