Wednesday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 463
Lectionary: 463
Brothers and
sisters:
After fourteen years I again went up to Jerusalem with Barnabas,
taking Titus along also.
I went up in accord with a revelation,
and I presented to them the Gospel that I preach to the Gentiles–
but privately to those of repute–
so that I might not be running, or have run, in vain.
On the contrary,
when they saw that I had been entrusted with the Gospel to the uncircumcised,
just as Peter to the circumcised,
for the one who worked in Peter for an apostolate to the circumcised
worked also in me for the Gentiles,
and when they recognized the grace bestowed upon me,
James and Cephas and John,
who were reputed to be pillars,
gave me and Barnabas their right hands in partnership,
that we should go to the Gentiles
and they to the circumcised.
Only, we were to be mindful of the poor,
which is the very thing I was eager to do.
And when Cephas came to Antioch,
I opposed him to his face because he clearly was wrong.
For, until some people came from James,
he used to eat with the Gentiles;
but when they came, he began to draw back and separated himself,
because he was afraid of the circumcised.
And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him,
with the result that even Barnabas
was carried away by their hypocrisy.
But when I saw that they were not on the right road
in line with the truth of the Gospel,
I said to Cephas in front of all,
“If you, though a Jew,
are living like a Gentile and not like a Jew,
how can you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?”
After fourteen years I again went up to Jerusalem with Barnabas,
taking Titus along also.
I went up in accord with a revelation,
and I presented to them the Gospel that I preach to the Gentiles–
but privately to those of repute–
so that I might not be running, or have run, in vain.
On the contrary,
when they saw that I had been entrusted with the Gospel to the uncircumcised,
just as Peter to the circumcised,
for the one who worked in Peter for an apostolate to the circumcised
worked also in me for the Gentiles,
and when they recognized the grace bestowed upon me,
James and Cephas and John,
who were reputed to be pillars,
gave me and Barnabas their right hands in partnership,
that we should go to the Gentiles
and they to the circumcised.
Only, we were to be mindful of the poor,
which is the very thing I was eager to do.
And when Cephas came to Antioch,
I opposed him to his face because he clearly was wrong.
For, until some people came from James,
he used to eat with the Gentiles;
but when they came, he began to draw back and separated himself,
because he was afraid of the circumcised.
And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him,
with the result that even Barnabas
was carried away by their hypocrisy.
But when I saw that they were not on the right road
in line with the truth of the Gospel,
I said to Cephas in front of all,
“If you, though a Jew,
are living like a Gentile and not like a Jew,
how can you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?”
Responsorial Psalm PS 117:1BC, 2
R. Go out to all the world, and tell the Good
News.
Praise the LORD, all you nations,
glorify him, all you peoples!
R. Go out to all the world, and tell the Good News.
For steadfast is his kindness toward us,
and the fidelity of the LORD endures forever.
R. Go out to all the world, and tell the Good News.
Praise the LORD, all you nations,
glorify him, all you peoples!
R. Go out to all the world, and tell the Good News.
For steadfast is his kindness toward us,
and the fidelity of the LORD endures forever.
R. Go out to all the world, and tell the Good News.
Gospel LK 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.”
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.”
Meditation: "Lord, teach us to pray"
Do you pray with joy and confidence? The Jews were noted for
their devotion to prayer. Formal prayer was prescribed for three set times a
day. And the rabbis had a prayer for every occasion. It was also a custom for
rabbis to teach their disciples a simple prayer they might use on a regular
basis. Jesus' disciples ask him for such a prayer. When Jesus taught his
disciples to pray he gave them the disciple's prayer, what we call the Our
Father or Lord's Prayer.
God treats us as his own sons and daughters
What does Jesus' prayer tell us about God and about ourselves? First, it tells us that God is both Father in being the Creator and Author of all that he has made, the first origin of everything and transcendent authority, and he is eternally Father by his relationship to his only Son who, reciprocally is Son only in relation to his Father (Matthew 11:27). All fatherhood and motherhood is derived from him (Ephesians 3:14-15). In Jesus Christ we are reborn and become the adopted children of God (John 1:12-13; 3:3).
What does Jesus' prayer tell us about God and about ourselves? First, it tells us that God is both Father in being the Creator and Author of all that he has made, the first origin of everything and transcendent authority, and he is eternally Father by his relationship to his only Son who, reciprocally is Son only in relation to his Father (Matthew 11:27). All fatherhood and motherhood is derived from him (Ephesians 3:14-15). In Jesus Christ we are reborn and become the adopted children of God (John 1:12-13; 3:3).
We can approach God confidently as a Father who loves us
Jesus teaches us to address God as "our Father" and to confidently ask him for the things we need to live as his sons and daughters. We can approach God our Father with confidence and boldness because Jesus Christ has opened the way to heaven for us through his death and resurrection. When we ask God for help, he fortunately does not give us what we deserve. Instead, he responds with grace and mercy. He is kind and forgiving towards us and he expects us to treat our neighbor the same.
Jesus teaches us to address God as "our Father" and to confidently ask him for the things we need to live as his sons and daughters. We can approach God our Father with confidence and boldness because Jesus Christ has opened the way to heaven for us through his death and resurrection. When we ask God for help, he fortunately does not give us what we deserve. Instead, he responds with grace and mercy. He is kind and forgiving towards us and he expects us to treat our neighbor the same.
We can pray with expectant faith and trust in the Father's
goodness
We can pray with expectant faith because our heavenly Father truly loves each one of us and and he treats us as his beloved children. He delights to give us what is good. His love and grace transforms us and makes us like himself. Through his grace and power we can love and serve one another as Jesus taught - with grace, mercy, and loving-kindness.
We can pray with expectant faith because our heavenly Father truly loves each one of us and and he treats us as his beloved children. He delights to give us what is good. His love and grace transforms us and makes us like himself. Through his grace and power we can love and serve one another as Jesus taught - with grace, mercy, and loving-kindness.
Do you treat others as they deserve, or do you treat them as the
Lord Jesus would with grace and mercy? Jesus' prayer includes an injunction
that we must ask God to forgive us in proportion as we forgive those who have
wronged us. God's grace frees us from every form of anger, spite, resentment,
envy, and hatred. Are you ready to forgive others as Jesus forgives you?
"Father in heaven, you have given me a mind to know you, a
will to serve you, and a heart to love you. Give me today the grace and
strength to embrace your holy will and fill my heart with your love that all my
intentions and actions may be pleasing to you. Help me to be kind and forgiving
towards my neighbor as you have been towards me".
 Prayer Has an Important Place in Our Continuing Conversion |
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October 8, 2014. Wednesday of the Twenty-seventh Week in
Ordinary Time
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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."
Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, you are the master of the universe, and yet
you wish to listen to me and guide me. You know all things past, present and
future, and yet you respect my freedom to choose you. Holy Trinity, you are
completely happy and fulfilled on your own, and yet you have generously
brought us into existence. You are our fulfillment. Thank you for the gift of
yourself. I offer the littleness of myself in return, knowing you are pleased
with what I have to give.
Petition: Lord, teach me through the “Our Father” to pray more
deeply.
1. Traditional Prayers Teach Us the Correct Attitudes to Have
towards God: What better prayer could we devise than a prayer using the
very words Jesus taught us here? Yet the “Our Father” is a traditional
prayer, a prayer with set words, prone to be recited merely by rote. But in
fact, traditional prayers are an invitation to meditate, set up in a way that
appeals to beginners. In the “Our Father”, as in all traditional prayers, we
repeat phrases that express the essence of a correct relationship with God.
Whether we already hold these attitudes in our heart or not, the beauty of
traditional prayers is not what we say, but how we say it. If we pray these
words, trying to make them our own, conforming our heart to the attitudes
they express, then little by little we will form a Christian heart, a heart
that loves the way it should.
2. Traditional Prayers Can Change My Heart and Draw It to God: When
I first turned to the Lord, I had a lot to work on. Most people do. I didn’t
love the way I should have. I was flawed in many other ways. One of the
things that helped me was the “Our Father” as well as other traditional
prayers. When we first come to the Lord, we don’t know how Christians should
think, what attitudes a Christian should hold. When we pray the “Our Father”
from the heart, it helps our heart to change, to become more Christ-like. It
takes only a moment to pray an “Our Father”, but from time to time, we should
meditate on the words. Say each phrase and repeat it, not moving on to the
next phrase until we feel that we have really gotten to the bottom of what it
is saying.
3 Traditional Prayers Fight Off the Attitudes of the World: Our
conversion to Christ is a change of attitudes from those of the world to
those of a Christian. Every day, the world proposes its attitudes as
something good that should be lived. But often what the world proposes as
good is actually harmful to us. How do we resist? By constantly repeating to
myself and meditating on Christian attitudes. This is what can happen in
using traditional prayers. It is a way of helping our heart understand and
embrace the Christianity we profess. The Christian who disdains traditional
prayers is rejecting a powerful tool of conversion.
Conversation with Christ: Dear Jesus, too often I rattle off my
prayers without thinking about the attitudes they contain. I want to get the
full benefit of all the prayers I say every day. I want to pray these prayers
more often, especially the “Our Father,” since it is the prayer that you,
yourself, taught me.
Resolution: Today I will pray my traditional prayers with special
attention and with the conviction that they will instruct me and change me in
a way that leads me closer to God.
By Father James Swanson, LC
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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, LUKE 11:1-4
(Galatians 2:1-2, 7-14; Psalm 117)
(Galatians 2:1-2, 7-14; Psalm 117)
KEY VERSE: "Lord, teach us to pray" (v 1).
READING: Jesus taught his disciples a simple prayer based on his relationship with his Father. There are two versions of the prayer in the Gospels. In Matthew, the Lord’s Prayer begins with “Our Father" (Matt 6:9). We experience God’s fatherhood not as isolated individuals but as members of the Church. By contrast, Luke’s gospel simply says, “Father” (Lk 11:2). While the Lord’s Prayer is a deeply personal prayer expressing our unique relationship with God who Jesus called “Abba, Father,” it is also a prayer to strengthen our bond with those God has put into our lives. Spend time meditating on each line of the Lord's Prayer in Luke's gospel, making it your own: "Father" ... Do I live like a son or daughter of God? ... "Hallowed be your name"... Do I respect the Lord's name? ... "Your Kingdom come"... Do I work to bring about the reign of God? ... "Give us each day our daily bread" ... Do I trust God to provide for my daily needs? ... "Forgive us our sins" ... Do I believe that God can absolve me of my sins? ..."As we forgive everyone who trespasses against us" ... Am I willing to forgive and forget the sins of others? ... "Deliver us from evil" ... What is the greatest evil that I need to resist?
REFLECTING: How can I live the Lord's Prayer today?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to make your prayer my own.
SUKKOT BEGINS AT SUNSET
The Festival of Sukkot begins on 15 Tishri (September/ October), the fifth day after Yom Kippur, and lasts for seven days. It is quite a change from one of the most solemn holidays to one of the most joyous. The word "Sukkot" means "booths," and refers to the "tents" that the Jews are commanded to live in during the holiday. This feast commemorates the forty-year period during which the children of Israel wandered in the desert, living in temporary shelters. Sukkot is also a harvest festival, and is sometimes referred to as the "Festival of Ingathering." Jews commonly hang dried squash and corn in the sukkah to decorate it, because these vegetables are readily available at this time of year. Many Americans remark on how much Sukkot reminds them of Thanksgiving. This is not entirely coincidental. Our American pilgrims, who originated the Thanksgiving holiday, were trying to find a way to express their thanks for their survival and for the harvest. They looked to the Bible and based their celebration in part on Sukkot (Lev 23:33-44).
Wednesday 8 October 2014
Galatians 2:1-2, 7-14. Go
out to all the world, and tell the Good News—Ps 116(117). Luke 11:1-4.
They were
not respecting the true meaning of the Good News.
In Paul’s reading today we
hear of the disciples going out among the Jews and the pagans. A distinction is
made between these two groups, although it is more a geographical variance than
a racial one. Nevertheless, the main focus was to help the poor. It is clear
that all people were seen as worthy of love and support.
Paul comments on the way
Cephas changed his habit of eating with the pagans for fear of offending
others. In Paul’s mind this lack of sincerity fails to respect the Good News.
How sincere are we when confronted by people whose ways threaten our beliefs?
Are we willing to speak out against the structures in our society that
discriminate against the marginalised? Do we strive to effect change to benefit
the disempowered members of our community?
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
Eager to Love
We must remain in love, which is why it is a commandment as such
(John 15:9), in fact, the commandment of Jesus. Only when we are eager to love
can we see love and goodness in the world around us.
October
8
St. John Leonardi
(1541?-1609)
St. John Leonardi
(1541?-1609)
"I am only one person! Why should I do anything? What good
would it do?" Today, as in any age, people seem plagued with the dilemma
of getting involved. In his own way John Leonardi answered these questions. He
chose to become a priest.
After his
ordination, he became very active in the works of the ministry, especially in
hospitals and prisons. The example and dedication of his work attracted several
young laymen who began to assist him. They later became priests themselves.
John
lived after the Protestant Reformation and the Council of Trent (1545-63). He
and his followers projected a new congregation of diocesan priests. For some
reason the plan, which was ultimately approved, provoked great political
opposition. John was exiled from his home town of Lucca, Italy, for almost
the entire remainder of his life. He received encouragement and help from St.
Philip Neri, who gave him his lodgings—along with the care of his cat!
In
1579, John formed the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, and published a
compendium of Christian doctrine that remained in use until the 19th century.
Father
Leonardi and his priests became a great power for good in Italy, and their
congregation was confirmed by Pope Clement in 1595. He died at the age of 68
from a disease caught when tending those stricken by the plague.
By the
deliberate policy of the founder, the Clerks Regular of the Mother of God have
never had more than 15 churches and today form only a very small congregation.
Comment:
What can one person do? If you ever glanced through a Christopher Notes pamphlet you know—plenty! In the life of each saint one thing stands clear: God and one person are a majority! What one individual, following God's will and plan for his or her life, can do is more than our mind could ever hope for or imagine. Each of us, like John Leonardi, has a mission to fulfill in God's plan for the world. Each one of us is unique and has been given talent to use for the service of our brothers and sisters for the building up of God's kingdom.
What can one person do? If you ever glanced through a Christopher Notes pamphlet you know—plenty! In the life of each saint one thing stands clear: God and one person are a majority! What one individual, following God's will and plan for his or her life, can do is more than our mind could ever hope for or imagine. Each of us, like John Leonardi, has a mission to fulfill in God's plan for the world. Each one of us is unique and has been given talent to use for the service of our brothers and sisters for the building up of God's kingdom.
Quote:
"Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your belongings and give alms. Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy" (Luke 12:32-33).
"Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your belongings and give alms. Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy" (Luke 12:32-33).
LECTIO DIVINA:
LUKE 11:1-4
Lectio:
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Father,
your love for us
surpasses all our hopes and desires.
Forgive our failings,
keep us in your peace
and lead us in the way of salvation.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
your love for us
surpasses all our hopes and desires.
Forgive our failings,
keep us in your peace
and lead us in the way of salvation.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Luke 11,1-4
Now it happened that Jesus was in a certain place praying, and
when he had finished, one of his disciples said, 'Lord, teach us to pray, as
John taught his disciples.'
He said to them, 'When you pray, this is what to say: 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.'
He said to them, 'When you pray, this is what to say: 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.'
3) Reflection
● In yesterday's Gospel, we saw Mary sitting at the feet of
Jesus, listening to his word. Anyone who listens to the Word of God has to give
a response in prayer. In this way, today's Gospel continues with the Gospel of
yesterday the narrating of the account in which Jesus, because of his way of
prayer, communicates to the disciples the desire to pray, to learn to pray from
him.
● Luke 11, 1: Jesus, example of prayer. "One day, Jesus was in a certain place praying and when he had finished one of his disciples said to him: ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples'". This petition of the disciples is strange, because at that time people learnt to pray since they were small. Everyone prayed three times a day, in the morning, at noon and in the evening. They prayed very much using the Psalms. They had their devotional practices, they had the Psalms, they had weekly meetings in the Synagogue and daily encounters at home. But it seemed that this was not enough. The disciple wanted more: "Teach us to pray!" In the attitude of Jesus he discovers that he could still advance more, and that for this he needed some initiation. The desire to pray was in all of them, but the way of praying needs a help. The way of praying attains maturity throughout life and changes through the centuries. Jesus was a good teacher: He taught how to pray with the words and with the witness.
● Luke 11, 2-4: The prayer of the Our Father. "Jesus answers: "When you pray this is what you have to say: 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 with us. And do not put us to the test". In the Gospel of Matthew, in quite a didactic way, Jesus summarizes all his teaching in seven petitions addressed to the Father. Here in Luke's Gospel the petitions are five. In these five requests, Jesus repeats the great promises of the Old Testament and asks that the Father help us to fulfil them. The first three (or two) speak to us about our relationship with God. The other four (or three) speak to us about the relationship among us.
Mt – Lc: Introduction: Our Father who are in heaven
Mt – Lc: 1st request: Hallowed be your Name
Mt – Lc: 2nd request: Your Kingdom come
Mt: 3rd request: Your will be done
Mt – Lc: 4th request: Our daily bread
Mt – Lc: 5th request: Forgive our offences
Mt – Lc: 6th request: Lead us not into temptation
Mt: 7th request: Deliver us from evil
● Father (Our): The title expresses the new relationship with God (Father). It is the basis of fraternity.
a) To sanctify the Name: the Name of Yahweh I am with you! God with us. God made himself known with this NAME (Ex 3, 11-15). The Name of God is sanctified when it is used with faith and not with magic; when it is used according to its true objective, that is, not for oppression, but for the liberation of the people and for the construction of the Kingdom.
b) Your Kingdom come: The only Lord and King of human life is God (Is 45, 21; 46, 9). The arrival of the Kingdom is the realization of all the hopes and promises. It is the fullness of life, the overcoming of frustration suffered with the kings and human governments. This Kingdom will come when the will of God will be completely fulfilled.
c) The daily bread: In Exodus, the people every day received the manna in the desert (Ex 16, 35). Divine Providence passed for the fraternal organization, for sharing. Jesus invites us to fulfil a new Exodus, a new way of sharing in a fraternal spirit which will guarantee the bread for all (Mt 6, 34-44; Jn 6, 48-51).
d) Forgiveness of debts: Every 50 years, the Jubilee Year obliged everybody to forgive the debts. It was a new beginning (Lev 25, 8-55). Jesus announces a new Jubilee Year, "a year of grace from the Lord" (Lk 4, 19). The Gospel wants to begin everything new! Today, the external debt is not forgiven! Luke changes "debts" for "sins".
e) Not to fall into temptation: In Exodus the people were tempted and fell (Deut 9, 6-12). They complained and wanted to go back. (Ex 16, 3; 17, 3). In the new Exodus, the temptation was overcome thanks to the force that people received from God (1Co 10, 12-13).
● The witness of the prayer of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke:
- At twelve years old, he goes to the Temple, in the House of the Father (Lk 2, 46-50).
- When he was baptized and he assumes his mission, he prays (Lk 3, 21).
- When he begins his mission, he spends forty days in the desert (Lk 4, 1-2).
- At the hour of temptation, he faces the Devil with texts from Scripture (Lk 4, 3-12).
- Jesus usually participated in the celebrations in the Synagogues, on Saturday (Lk 4, 16)
- He looks for the solitude of the desert to pray (Lk 5, 16; 9, 18).
- On the day before he chose the twelve Apostles, he spent the night in prayer (Lk 6, 12).
- He prays before meals (Lk 9, 16; 24, 30).
- He prays before presenting the reality and before speaking about his Passion (Lk 9, 18).
- In time of crisis, he goes up to the mountain to pray, is transfigured while he prays (Lk 9, 28).
- When the Gospel is revealed to the little ones, he says: "Father I thank you!" (Lk 10, 21)
- By praying he awakens in the Apostles the desire to pray (Lk 11, 1).
- He prays for Peter so that his faith will not fail (Lk 22, 32).
- He celebrates the Paschal Supper with his disciples (Lk 22, 7-14).
- In the Garden of Olives, he prays while his sweat fell like drops of blood (Lk 22, 41-42).
- In his anguish he asks his friends to pray with him (Lk 22, 40.46).
- When he was nailed to the cross, he asks for pardon for the bandits (Lk 23, 34).
- At the hour of his death, he says: "Into your hands I commit my spirit!" (Lk 23, 46; Ps 31, 6)
- Jesus dies sending out the cry of the poor (Lk 23, 46).
● Luke 11, 1: Jesus, example of prayer. "One day, Jesus was in a certain place praying and when he had finished one of his disciples said to him: ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples'". This petition of the disciples is strange, because at that time people learnt to pray since they were small. Everyone prayed three times a day, in the morning, at noon and in the evening. They prayed very much using the Psalms. They had their devotional practices, they had the Psalms, they had weekly meetings in the Synagogue and daily encounters at home. But it seemed that this was not enough. The disciple wanted more: "Teach us to pray!" In the attitude of Jesus he discovers that he could still advance more, and that for this he needed some initiation. The desire to pray was in all of them, but the way of praying needs a help. The way of praying attains maturity throughout life and changes through the centuries. Jesus was a good teacher: He taught how to pray with the words and with the witness.
● Luke 11, 2-4: The prayer of the Our Father. "Jesus answers: "When you pray this is what you have to say: 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 with us. And do not put us to the test". In the Gospel of Matthew, in quite a didactic way, Jesus summarizes all his teaching in seven petitions addressed to the Father. Here in Luke's Gospel the petitions are five. In these five requests, Jesus repeats the great promises of the Old Testament and asks that the Father help us to fulfil them. The first three (or two) speak to us about our relationship with God. The other four (or three) speak to us about the relationship among us.
Mt – Lc: Introduction: Our Father who are in heaven
Mt – Lc: 1st request: Hallowed be your Name
Mt – Lc: 2nd request: Your Kingdom come
Mt: 3rd request: Your will be done
Mt – Lc: 4th request: Our daily bread
Mt – Lc: 5th request: Forgive our offences
Mt – Lc: 6th request: Lead us not into temptation
Mt: 7th request: Deliver us from evil
● Father (Our): The title expresses the new relationship with God (Father). It is the basis of fraternity.
a) To sanctify the Name: the Name of Yahweh I am with you! God with us. God made himself known with this NAME (Ex 3, 11-15). The Name of God is sanctified when it is used with faith and not with magic; when it is used according to its true objective, that is, not for oppression, but for the liberation of the people and for the construction of the Kingdom.
b) Your Kingdom come: The only Lord and King of human life is God (Is 45, 21; 46, 9). The arrival of the Kingdom is the realization of all the hopes and promises. It is the fullness of life, the overcoming of frustration suffered with the kings and human governments. This Kingdom will come when the will of God will be completely fulfilled.
c) The daily bread: In Exodus, the people every day received the manna in the desert (Ex 16, 35). Divine Providence passed for the fraternal organization, for sharing. Jesus invites us to fulfil a new Exodus, a new way of sharing in a fraternal spirit which will guarantee the bread for all (Mt 6, 34-44; Jn 6, 48-51).
d) Forgiveness of debts: Every 50 years, the Jubilee Year obliged everybody to forgive the debts. It was a new beginning (Lev 25, 8-55). Jesus announces a new Jubilee Year, "a year of grace from the Lord" (Lk 4, 19). The Gospel wants to begin everything new! Today, the external debt is not forgiven! Luke changes "debts" for "sins".
e) Not to fall into temptation: In Exodus the people were tempted and fell (Deut 9, 6-12). They complained and wanted to go back. (Ex 16, 3; 17, 3). In the new Exodus, the temptation was overcome thanks to the force that people received from God (1Co 10, 12-13).
● The witness of the prayer of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke:
- At twelve years old, he goes to the Temple, in the House of the Father (Lk 2, 46-50).
- When he was baptized and he assumes his mission, he prays (Lk 3, 21).
- When he begins his mission, he spends forty days in the desert (Lk 4, 1-2).
- At the hour of temptation, he faces the Devil with texts from Scripture (Lk 4, 3-12).
- Jesus usually participated in the celebrations in the Synagogues, on Saturday (Lk 4, 16)
- He looks for the solitude of the desert to pray (Lk 5, 16; 9, 18).
- On the day before he chose the twelve Apostles, he spent the night in prayer (Lk 6, 12).
- He prays before meals (Lk 9, 16; 24, 30).
- He prays before presenting the reality and before speaking about his Passion (Lk 9, 18).
- In time of crisis, he goes up to the mountain to pray, is transfigured while he prays (Lk 9, 28).
- When the Gospel is revealed to the little ones, he says: "Father I thank you!" (Lk 10, 21)
- By praying he awakens in the Apostles the desire to pray (Lk 11, 1).
- He prays for Peter so that his faith will not fail (Lk 22, 32).
- He celebrates the Paschal Supper with his disciples (Lk 22, 7-14).
- In the Garden of Olives, he prays while his sweat fell like drops of blood (Lk 22, 41-42).
- In his anguish he asks his friends to pray with him (Lk 22, 40.46).
- When he was nailed to the cross, he asks for pardon for the bandits (Lk 23, 34).
- At the hour of his death, he says: "Into your hands I commit my spirit!" (Lk 23, 46; Ps 31, 6)
- Jesus dies sending out the cry of the poor (Lk 23, 46).
4) Personal questions
● Do I pray? How do I pray? What does prayer mean for me?
● Our Father: I go over the five petitions and examine how I live them in my life
● Our Father: I go over the five petitions and examine how I live them in my life
5) Concluding prayer
Praise Yahweh, all nations,
extol him, all peoples,
for his faithful love is strong
and his constancy never-ending. (Ps 117,1-2)
extol him, all peoples,
for his faithful love is strong
and his constancy never-ending. (Ps 117,1-2)
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