Words of Spirit and Life

Theme: PRAY: PRAY TO GOD WHO IS LOVE, MERCY, AND FORGIVENESS

• Genesis 18:20-32;
• Psalm 137:1-3. 6-8. R. v. 3;
• Colossians 2:12-14;
• Luke 11:1-13

1. Today is the 17^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C. The readings today tell us to pray to God who is love, mercy, and forgiveness!

    The gospel tells us to pray to God as Father, Abba, Papa, Dad, Bapa, Baba, that is, to pray to God who is love, mercy, and forgiveness!

    We have to pray to God as children totally dependent on our Father; asking the Father to make his name holy, to make his kingdom come, to give us our daily bread – both material and spiritual, to forgive us our sins, and not to put us to the test! (CSB / //Mt 6:9-13)

    Thus the Lord’s Prayer or the Our Father: “Father, may your name be held holy, your kingdom come; give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive each one who is in debt to us. And do not put us to the test.” (Lk 11:2-4)

    The second part of the gospel (Lk 11:5-8) tells us to pray persistently and perseveringly; and the third part of the gospel (Lk 11: 9-13) tells us that our prayers will be effective!

    Our prayers will be effective because God will give us the Holy Spirit and in the power of the Holy Spirit we will hold God’s name holy, we will build God’s kingdom here on earth, we will receive our daily bread – both material and spiritual, we will forgive others as God has forgiven us, and we will not be put to the test, that is, we will not fall in times of trials, that is, we will not apostatize, that is, we will not renounce our faith in times of trials!

2. The first reading follows the theme of the gospel, and the first reading is to be read in the light of the gospel! The first reading tells us to pray to God who is merciful! The first reading tells us that Abraham prayed to God who is merciful!

    The first reading tells us that God wanted to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, but Abraham pleaded with God not to destroy the just men with the sinners. Abraham pleaded with God not to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah for 50 just men and God relented. Abraham bargained with God – not to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah – from 50 just men down to 45, 40, 30, 20, and even to only 10 just men, and God relented! And the first reading stops here! God is merciful! (IBC) Again, the first reading tells us to pray to God who is merciful!

3. The responsorial psalm follows the theme of the first reading. The responsorial psalm is “a song of thanksgiving for deliverance by God”. (HCSB) The responsorial psalm tells us that God who is love will answer our prayers. Thus the responsorial psalm is enveloped by the word love in verses 2 and 8 (NJBC): “I thank you for your faithfulness and love which excel all we ever knew of you.”! (Ps 137:2), and “Your love, O Lord, is eternal, discard not the work of your hands.”! (Ps 137:8); and thus the response of the responsorial psalm: “On the day I called, you answered me, O Lord.”! (Ps 137:3)              

4. Finally, the second reading tells us that the God to whom we pray; the God who is love, mercy, and forgiveness; is the God who forgives us in his Son Jesus Christ! Thus we read in the second reading: “You were dead, because you were sinners and had not been circumcised: he has brought you to life with him, he has forgiven us all our sins.

    He has overridden the Law, and cancelled every record of the debt that we had to pay; he has done away with it by nailing it to the cross.”! (Col 2:13-14)

5. Today in the Eucharist, we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and we eat his body and drink his blood, and our Risen Lord will give us the Holy Spirit, so that we will hold God’s name holy, so that we will build God’s kingdom here on earth, so that we will receive his daily bread – both material and spiritual, so that we will forgive others as he has forgiven us, and so that we will not be put to the test, that is, we will not fall in times of trials!

Amen!