The Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – Sunday, July 24, 2022
July28,2022
Luke 11:1 Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.” Luke 11:9-10 “And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door with be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”
Dear Parishioners and Friends,
Faith must be sustained if it is to bear fruit. The flames must be kept burning brightly, otherwise they will grow dim and even go out. We can never afford to be presumptuous in this regard. As we go through life, we begin to realize what attacks faith. There are basically three ways to lose the faith: 1.) Quit praying; 2) Commit mortal sins; 3.) Never study the faith. Usually, the loss of faith is the result of one or more of the above - sometimes all three at once.
Of all the ways to grow in faith, prayer is most important. Faith is a relationship with God that is personal, real, trusting and inexhaustible. It either grows deeper or lessens. There is no in between. Therefore, a disciple of the Lord takes seriously his prayer life. It is not just something done now and then, nor when there is a crisis. It is not just a good feeling that comes and goes. No, prayer is to beg God in a personal way that He come into my life, remain there, guide me, strengthen me, and enlighten me. As St. John the Baptist said: “He must increase; I must decrease.”
In Luke 11:1 the disciples clearly had a taste or desire to pray better. They had witnessed Jesus at prayer. They wanted to be like Him but didn’t yet know how to go about it. Therefore, they asked the master teacher how to pray. It is at this point that Jesus prays the “Our Father,” which we often call the Lord’s Prayer. We pray this prayer together right before Holy Communion. It is the one prayer that unites most Christians. It is so simple yet profound beyond description. Each section is worth study. Consult the Catechism of the Catholic Church for a wonderful explanation and application of this prayer of prayers.
In Luke 11:9-10 Jesus presents a basic aspect of all prayer: supplication. God never tires of hearing from us and about us. He never thinks we are boring. He is always listening to us as we must learn to listen to Him. Therefore, to storm heaven with our prayers is never out of place. Why? Because Jesus told us so. We must persevere in prayer always and everywhere all the days of our lives. We cannot grow weary of prayer if we wish never to grow weary.
Yours in the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Fr. Mark G. Mazza, Pastor