Cycle C - Year I:

28 July 2013 - 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

(Liturgical color: Green)

Luke 11:1-13

Pray persistently!

National media at one time proclaims the Philippines as the text capital of the world. That may not be surprising because really we do love to communicate and express ourselves. That is why we are known as friendly and hospitable people in this part of the world.

So now it is true that in the Philippines young and old, rich and poor, even in sickness or in health, Filipinos have cell phones and other communication gadgets. It is just the "in" thing to have one, so to say, although it can be expensive for the "load" and the cost of the gadgets.

But  do you know that the very first, and the best means of communicating is absolutely free? We call it "prayer" and it is God-given. In praying we connect with God at any time, which means there is no such thing as "no signal", or "low bat", or no "load". Because God answers all prayers, in his own ways and in his time.

In his public ministry Jesus himself lives a life of prayer. The disciples are witnesses to this. So in today's gospel episode the disciples ask Jesus to teach them how to pray.

In response Jesus gives them the prayer of the "Our Father", and invites his disciples to pray persistently... and knock till the door is opened.

The "Our Father" is a beautiful prayer that comes from Jesus himself. Let us try to digest this prayer. It contains all the essential elements of a prayer, like Adoration for God ("Hallowed be thy name"), our Contrition or Repentance for the sins we have committed ("Forgive us our trespasses"), and our Supplication, that is, we request God to give us the food that we need to sustain our body ("Give us this day our daily bread").

In the words of the "Our Father" Jesus teaches us to call God our Father and a friend. Jesus explains what "fatherhood" means. It means having the best interest of his children in mind and knowing how to meet them. God as a friend means we can approach Him with any need at any time.

Prayer is our hot line to God. Prayer is an ongoing dialogue of intimate commitment with God. Prayer is about falling in love with God.

Through prayers we receive "new glasses" through which we see better the landscape in our journey in life. Through prayers we are drawn by Love into a deepening relationship with Jesus whose loving embrace on the hill of Golgotha bridged heaven with earth.

In practical life, we can pray in one of two ways: as a trusting child or a persistent friend. Either way, believe that the God to whom we are speaking will listen when we continue speaking with Him, and believe that God has our best interest in mind, always.

Especially during this Year of Faith, let us pray persistently, for ourselves, our families, our country and for the whole world. Let us not get tired knocking until the door of heaven is opened to us.

Also today the Catholic Church in the Philippines celebrates Fil-Mission Sunday. Let us pray for Filipino diocesan priest-missionaries of the Mission Society of the Philippines (MSP) who represent our missionary apostolate to other peoples, especially those in Asia and Oceania. Let us support these Filipino missionaries through prayers, sacrifices and material offerings.

A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Deo Optimo Maximo!