|
Reflections
for Sunday, July 28, 2013
Patient perseverance in prayer is the teaching this week. We don't have to
think of ourselves as being calmly patient. We can be somewhat impatient
with God as we persevere in prayer, just as was Abraham in the first
reading today. The Gospel even tells us to bother the Lord with our
prayers: keep on insisting.
In the first reading, Abraham bargains with the Lord. We can also think of
Moses who was willing to forego eternal life rather than let God destroy
His own people. These are people who really believe that God listens to
them. So a great question for us today is this: Do I believe that God
hears my prayer?
Far too often we give up in our prayers when God does not do what we want
God to do. The Gospel today is very clear: just keep on praying! If what
we are praying for is not evil, surely God will finally listen to us in a
way that will make us aware that He does hear us and answer us.
There are two things to note about the Gospel today. First, if we wish to
be forgiven, we must forgive others. This is the basic element of the
Gospel and is taught to us as a basic element of any life which wishes to
live in Christ. Forgive and you will be forgiven.
The second aspect is persistence. We must persist in asking. Think of
Moses when Aaron and Hur had to hold up his hands in prayer. As long as
Moses continued praying, the Israelites won their battle. When he could no
longer hold up his hands, the Israelites began to lose. So Aaron and Hur
held the hands of Moses up in prayer. We can hear the teaching: sometimes
we must pray together for really important things.
Christ died for us. It is His prayer that we be saved and that we live in
Him. The letter to the Colossians makes it clear: Our transgressions were
nailed to the Cross with him and no longer bind us.
Let us rejoice today and learn to persist in our prayer. Let us learn to
pray with others so that our prayer is stronger. Thanks be to God.
Readings of the day:
First Reading: Genesis 18.20-32
Second Reading: Colossians 2.12-14
Gospel: Luke 11.1-13
| |
Reflections are available for the following Sundays:
|
