Seventeenth Sunday of the Year: C: July 24, 2022

               HOW SHOULD WE PRAY?

First Reading: Genesis 18: 20-32

Second Reading: Colossians 2: 12-14

Gospel Reading: Luke 11: 1-13

   * First reading is from the book of Genesis. Abraham prays to the Lord God for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. People of those cities grievously sinned against the Lord God. The Lord God decides to destroy those two rebellious and wicked cities. But Abraham intercedes and pleads with the Lord God to spare them from destruction. Even if the number of righteous in those cities are as few as fifty/ forty five/ forty/ twenty or merely ten, Abraham wants the Lord God to be merciful to them. The Lord God promises Abraham that for the sake of even ten righteous persons in those cities, He will not destroy them. 

   *Second reading is from St. Paul's letter to Colossians. Paul explains to the Christian community in Colossia that in baptism, they are buried with Christ and are raised with Him. Hence through baptism a believer is inserted into Christ's death and resurrection. Thus a baptized person once and for all dies to the sinful way of life and is raised to live a new life of grace.

The Lord's prayer                                                                             Today's Gospel reading is from St. Luke. Jesus teaches His disciples how to pray through the prayer 'Our Father'. It is a prayer for all times and for all occasions. Every relationship between us and our heavenly Father is taken care of in it. The aspects that Jesus considers and that we too should consider include the following: 1. Accepting God as our heavenly Father and praising Him. 2. Praying for our daily needs - food in particular. 3. Praying that we may be able to forgive others so that we in turn may be forgiven by God. 4. Praying that we may be able to overcome our temptations - for no one can say that we are not tempted. 5. Praying that we may be delivered from the power of evil. When we pray the prayer 'Our Father' or any other prayer, let us ask for what we need but let us be contented by what the Lord gives us; 

"If we pray, we will believe; if we believe, we will love; if we love, we will serve." - St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

"Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you." - St. Augustine.

"Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the soul. It is a daily admission of one's weakness. It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart." - Mahatma Gandhi. 

"Prayer doesn't change  things - it changes us. If we are diligent in seeking God, slowly and surely we become better people." - Joyce Meyer.