Category: Uncategorized

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Gospel: Luke 11: 5-13

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Suppose one of you has a friend
to whom he goes at midnight and says,
‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,
for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey
and I have nothing to offer him,’
and he says in reply from within,
‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked
and my children and I are already in bed.
I cannot get up to give you anything.’
I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves
because of their friendship,
he will get up to give him whatever he needs
because of his persistence.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Why do we not always get what we pray for?

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The honest answer is, “I don’t know.”

I think why we get what we pray for is as mysterious why we sometimes don’t. The fact that God listens to us and, at times, answers our prayers exactly as we ask is a marvelous truth in itself.

But there is one thing that we will always receive when we pray: the Holy Spirit.

As Jesus says in today’s Gospel, “Ask, seek, knock. Then my Father in heaven will give you the gift of the Holy Spirit.” 

Saint Paul says the fruit of the Spirit is, “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

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So, what does this mean for us?

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Maybe we’ve been praying that a conflict with a disgruntled colleague at work would end overnight. Even if it hasn’t, God will give you the patience and self-control you need to bear it.

Maybe a malignant diagnosis won’t turn benign, but God will give you the peace to accept it.

Maybe a particular temptation will continue to pester you for an indefinite period of time, but God will give you the grace to resist it and remain faithful.

All these things – patience, self-control, peace, and faithfulness are the fruit of the Holy Spirit, and thus the fruit of prayer.

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Place your needs and desires before the Lord today. I hope God will answer you exactly as you wish. But if not, be open and ready to receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit, who will help you bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, and endure all things.

God’s love never fails.

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Image credits: (1) Redbubble (2) The Gospel Coalition (3) www.claudialebaron.com

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Gospel: Luke 11: 1-4

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.”
He said to them, “When you pray, say:

Father, hallowed be your name,
your Kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread
and forgive us our sins
for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us,
and do not subject us to the final test.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Why is the Lord’s Prayer so meaningful?

It comes directly from Christ’s own prayer life. As the disciples say to him in today’s Gospel, “Lord, teach us how to pray – as you pray.” Then he gives them these precious words.

Much could be said about it, but consider how it begins and ends.

Jesus tells us to call God our “Father,” but he uses the term, Abba, meaning, Papa or Daddy. So, we begin by addressing God from a place of familial intimacy.

“Hallowed be thy name.” 

To “hallow,” means to be holy or set apart. Meaning, we’re asking for the grace to keep God as holy – set apart, first – in our lives. 

We all know how difficult that can be. Often, there are other people and things vying for our attention – our marriage, our career, our children, our own plans and desires, material things, and so on. 

To say, “Hallowed by thy name,” means we promise to keep God first. All day. Every day.

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Towards the conclusion of the prayer, we say, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” This points to the very heart of Christ’s identity – his ability to forgive sins. 

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus tells people like the woman caught in adultery, “Your sins are forgiven. Go, and sin no more.”

Jesus cannot forgive her sins unless they were somehow committed against him, just I cannot forgive your sins, unless they offend me personally.

This reveals that God is the one who is ultimately affected by every sin committed – and therefore God is the one who can forgive them all. He asks only one thing in return: forgive one another as Christ has forgiven you.

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These are two things we can strive for today: to keep God first and to forgive those who trespass against us. May the Lord give us the grace to do it all.

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Image credits: (1) Christ Follower Life (2) Pantocrator, St. Catherine’s Monastery (3)Bethel Assembly Church in Fosstown MN

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Gospel: Luke 10: 38-42

Jesus entered a village 
where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.
She had a sister named Mary
who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. 
Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said,
“Lord, do you not care
that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? 
Tell her to help me.” 
The Lord said to her in reply,
“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. 
There is need of only one thing. 
Mary has chosen the better part
and it will not be taken from her.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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I’m so glad that Martha lost her cool.

Her frustration allows us to learn a timeless lesson in discipleship.

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We can imagine the scene.

Perhaps Martha was moving around the kitchen for an hour or two, banging pots and pans, cutting vegetables while mumbling under her breath. 

Finally, she storms into the dining room to confront her sister, Mary, who’s listening attentively to Jesus.

Interrupting their conversation, Martha bursts out, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?”

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Martha just made several mistakes.

First, she accuses the Lord of not caring about her burdens. “Lord, do you not care?” 

Then she blames someone else for her anxiety. “My sister has left me to do all the serving.” Somehow, it’s Mary’s fault that Martha is so anxious.

Finally, Martha polishes off her cocktail of complaints by telling the Lord how to solve her problem. “Tell her to help me!”

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Jesus rebukes Martha softly, telling her, “You are worried and anxious about many things.” Deep down, Martha was not anxious about making a perfect sauce or maintaining a clean kitchen.

Although these ideas may have been disturbing her on the surface, in her heart Martha lost her focus; that day she was motivated more by duty than by love.

As Saint Paul reminds us, “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.”

It brings joy to any situation, even hosting a meal. Think about the ordinary tasks we do throughout the day. Do they bring us anxiety or peace?

If we do them with love, then we shall never tire; on the contrary, we’d do it all over again.

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Image credits: (1) Cross Encounters Ministries (2) BeliefNet (3) Amazon.com