The petition regarding temptation in the Lord’s Prayer has been reformulated in the Italian version. Instead of “Lead us not into temptation,” it now reads “Do not abandon us to temptation.” The choice was made due to pastoral concerns (lest we should think God could lead us to sin),[1] and encourages reflection on the meaning of the words of the prayer that Jesus taught (for St. Luke, at the request of a disciple; for St. Matthew, in the long Sermon on the Mount).[2]
Are those who ask not to be abandoned to temptation thinking of a specific trial? Are they thinking of temptations or the trials of life? Or again of a great evil and the last temptation?[3] Is the request to be delivered from evil different from the request concerning temptation, or is it a more specific form of that petition? What is the evil from which we ask to be delivered? Is it always from the same evil, or does it take different forms, according to times and circumstances, depending on individuals and certain groups? Why would the Lord abandon us or lead us into trials? Rather, should not a good father prevent the temptation, as well as deliver us from all forms of evil, including pandemics and wars? This article is reserved for paid subscribers. Please subscribe to continue reading this article
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