My Seven-Minute-Homily, July 28th 2013
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
The Book of Genesis 18.20-32; Letter of St. Paul to the Colossians 2.12-14 and the Gospel of St. Luke 11.1-13
The first reading, from the Book of Genesis, is filled with humor. Abraham presses the Lord to be merciful. It also teaches us so much about our God. This is a God who loves us passionately. This is a God who is always willing to be spoken to. This is a God who wants to forgive us over and over and over. This God wants to overlook our transgressions the minute we turn to Him.
The second reading, from the Letter to the Colossians repeats this same lesson. St. Paul teaches that the mercy of God is already a reality in the life of the baptized. Jesus is the one truly good man and through one man alone salvation has been given to the whole world. We are invited to be part of that one man.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives us great advice. First, he teaches us to keep it simple and meaningful. Never worry about what to say; just say what is in your heart. The Lord’s Prayer is probably the simplest prayer there is, with very few words. But when prayed sincerely from the heart, it is all that is needed. Worship the Father; ask for your real daily needs, including forgiveness; forgive all with whom you hold resentments; and ask God not to test your faith right now because you might fail!
Second, Jesus teaches us to trust that our Father hears and answers each and every prayer. There are no exceptions! Remember that Abraham in the First Reading, the Book of Genesis was bold enough to ask God to save an entire town, even if there were only a small handful of virtuous people to be found there. Our Father always responds in the most lovable and just manner possible. Perhaps we might think our request went unanswered. We need to see with the eyes of faith that our Father cares, hears, and answers.
God is not just the fearful Creator and Master of the universe, distant and unapproachable. He is our loving Father, eager to give good things to his children. To make this point, Jesus gives some examples from human parenting: "What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg?" We believe that we indeed have a loving, caring Father in heaven! And so we have the courage to pray the Our Father at the very beginning of the Communion Rite at each Mass. Every time, pray it with meaning, from your heart!
When can we pray? It is possible to offer fervent prayer even while walking in public…or seated in your shop…while buying and selling…or even while cooking. The important thing is: DO IT! BELIEVE the words in today’s Responsorial Psalm ‘On the day I called, O Lord, you answered me!’
Many of us as Christians have lost three precious understand¬ings. First, Christians have lost the sense of the importance of formal prayer at regular times. The life of the early Church shows us that regular formal prayer is essential to preserve our sense of God.
Second, many of us as Christians have often lost the sense that when we pray as Christians it is not my prayer and your prayer, but our prayer in Jesus. When we prayer simultaneously we are praying as one body and I pray at this time to join my prayer with that of the body, with the whole Church.
Third, to be a Christian is to be a disciple, a disciple is one who learns over time and takes on the prac¬tices, the discipline, of the master. The master prayed regu¬larly, as we hear about Jesus in today's gospel so must we.
My suggestion is to pray Our Father at least three times a day: Morning, Noon and Evening. This is the basis of a renewal schedule for each one of us. You really don’t need a single meeting or handbook to get it started. You can do it right away and right today.
Another suggestion: When we pray for daily bread, we might do examination of conscience: We have an abundant food. We have many materials. How do we use them? Do we really know the value of food, the necessity of materials that we have in hands? I know you are not rich and nobody accepts that they have enough money or they have enough what they need. However we are often spoiled by food and many times other things. For example, we cook too much food and all left over go to the garbage. We enjoy eating food too much. We don’t know that many deceases come from the food we eat. We waste materials too. For example we just need a little bit of water to wash our hands but we use a lot for nothing. We often turn all the lights on even just only one light is enough.
These things are very small and I don’t use them to judge you or to teach you how to save money. But if we waste food and materials we have, we waste the grace of God and we forget many poor people in the world. If we really understand the prayer for daily bread we should not do that anymore. We think that food or all materials come from our work so that we can use them for whatever we want. No, all of them come from the loving care of God for all of us. So when we pray Our Father, we should pray for daily bread for our brothers and sisters and we should pray for the way we use our daily bread. We should use them to live, to serve God and to help others. Amen.
Father Great Rice
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
The Book of Genesis 18.20-32; Letter of St. Paul to the Colossians 2.12-14 and the Gospel of St. Luke 11.1-13
The first reading, from the Book of Genesis, is filled with humor. Abraham presses the Lord to be merciful. It also teaches us so much about our God. This is a God who loves us passionately. This is a God who is always willing to be spoken to. This is a God who wants to forgive us over and over and over. This God wants to overlook our transgressions the minute we turn to Him.
The second reading, from the Letter to the Colossians repeats this same lesson. St. Paul teaches that the mercy of God is already a reality in the life of the baptized. Jesus is the one truly good man and through one man alone salvation has been given to the whole world. We are invited to be part of that one man.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives us great advice. First, he teaches us to keep it simple and meaningful. Never worry about what to say; just say what is in your heart. The Lord’s Prayer is probably the simplest prayer there is, with very few words. But when prayed sincerely from the heart, it is all that is needed. Worship the Father; ask for your real daily needs, including forgiveness; forgive all with whom you hold resentments; and ask God not to test your faith right now because you might fail!
Second, Jesus teaches us to trust that our Father hears and answers each and every prayer. There are no exceptions! Remember that Abraham in the First Reading, the Book of Genesis was bold enough to ask God to save an entire town, even if there were only a small handful of virtuous people to be found there. Our Father always responds in the most lovable and just manner possible. Perhaps we might think our request went unanswered. We need to see with the eyes of faith that our Father cares, hears, and answers.
God is not just the fearful Creator and Master of the universe, distant and unapproachable. He is our loving Father, eager to give good things to his children. To make this point, Jesus gives some examples from human parenting: "What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg?" We believe that we indeed have a loving, caring Father in heaven! And so we have the courage to pray the Our Father at the very beginning of the Communion Rite at each Mass. Every time, pray it with meaning, from your heart!
When can we pray? It is possible to offer fervent prayer even while walking in public…or seated in your shop…while buying and selling…or even while cooking. The important thing is: DO IT! BELIEVE the words in today’s Responsorial Psalm ‘On the day I called, O Lord, you answered me!’
Many of us as Christians have lost three precious understand¬ings. First, Christians have lost the sense of the importance of formal prayer at regular times. The life of the early Church shows us that regular formal prayer is essential to preserve our sense of God.
Second, many of us as Christians have often lost the sense that when we pray as Christians it is not my prayer and your prayer, but our prayer in Jesus. When we prayer simultaneously we are praying as one body and I pray at this time to join my prayer with that of the body, with the whole Church.
Third, to be a Christian is to be a disciple, a disciple is one who learns over time and takes on the prac¬tices, the discipline, of the master. The master prayed regu¬larly, as we hear about Jesus in today's gospel so must we.
My suggestion is to pray Our Father at least three times a day: Morning, Noon and Evening. This is the basis of a renewal schedule for each one of us. You really don’t need a single meeting or handbook to get it started. You can do it right away and right today.
Another suggestion: When we pray for daily bread, we might do examination of conscience: We have an abundant food. We have many materials. How do we use them? Do we really know the value of food, the necessity of materials that we have in hands? I know you are not rich and nobody accepts that they have enough money or they have enough what they need. However we are often spoiled by food and many times other things. For example, we cook too much food and all left over go to the garbage. We enjoy eating food too much. We don’t know that many deceases come from the food we eat. We waste materials too. For example we just need a little bit of water to wash our hands but we use a lot for nothing. We often turn all the lights on even just only one light is enough.
These things are very small and I don’t use them to judge you or to teach you how to save money. But if we waste food and materials we have, we waste the grace of God and we forget many poor people in the world. If we really understand the prayer for daily bread we should not do that anymore. We think that food or all materials come from our work so that we can use them for whatever we want. No, all of them come from the loving care of God for all of us. So when we pray Our Father, we should pray for daily bread for our brothers and sisters and we should pray for the way we use our daily bread. We should use them to live, to serve God and to help others. Amen.
Father Great Rice