Reflection for Sunday 27th July, 2025
17th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lord, teach us to pray (Luke 11: 1-13)
The light on the face of Jesus at prayer must have been a sight the apostles would never forget. They wanted to be part of the experience, so they asked him to teach them about prayer. “Lord, teach us to pray as John taught his disciples.” A Jewish teacher was expected to introduce his students to a prayer which would summarize his teaching. John the Baptist did so.
That is why, from the earliest times, the Lord’s Prayer has been recognised as a summary of the Gospels. The celebration of the Eucharist may be regarded as the prayer of Christian memory. The Our Father is the prayer of Christian identity. It expresses who we are in our new relationship with God since Jesus instituted the new covenant between God and people. United with Jesus, we become children of God and heirs of the kingdom of heaven.
God, our Father in heaven, hear the prayers of your children united in the name of Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. Amen.Father and Kingdom
The two key words in the Lord’s Prayer are Father and Kingdom. The recognition of God as our Father is where the New Testament is an advance on the Old Testament in the revelation of God’s relationship with us. In the new covenant, ratified in the blood of Jesus, we are offered the Spirit of adoption as children of God. In the Gospel of John we read, “To all who did accept him, he gave the power to become the children of God.” Hence God is our Father in a way never previously recognised. If the name, Father, expresses the new revelation of God, the second key word, Kingdom, summarizes the mission of Jesus, which was to establish the kingdom of God on earth. He began his mission with the proclamation: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mt. 4:17).
Persistence in prayer
“Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.” Yet all of us have had the experience of praying earnestly for some petition but we did not get what we wanted. God answers our petitions in any of three ways. First, God says “Yes” and we see our prayer answered. The second way God answers is, “Yes, but not for a while.” God’s delay is an opportunity to persevere in prayer. If we get what we want at first time of asking we might not fully appreciate the gift. Perseverance in prayer helps to deepen our faith. The third way that God answers us is “No, but I will give you something else.” It is like the parent who will not give anything harmful to a child but gives something safer. Every prayer is answered although we might not recognise it.
If God already knows our needs, why do we have to ask? Are we trying to twist the arm of an unwilling God? Are we like Abraham in today’s First Reading bargaining with God? The purpose of asking is not to change God but to change us. Having to persevere can help us to grow in awareness of our dependence on God. Or we might realise that we should back up the words of prayer with charitable action, or with some moral improvement in our living. Remember the instruction of Jesus to seek reconciliation with somebody before bringing one’s gift to the altar. When prayer is backed up by fasting or charitable action, it is much stronger.
Let us pray in the light the Lord’s Prayer
Heavenly Father, may your sacred name be held in such reverence that the very mention of your name will make us aware of your relationship with us.
May your kingdom come in a world where justice, truth, and peace reign supreme in every country.
Provide for us each day the daily bread for all our needs. May the wealthy nations learn to share generously with people who lack food and homes.
Father, forgive us our sins, and may your Holy Spirit inspire us to share this forgiveness with all who have offended us.
Strengthen us to resist the temptation of the Evil One.
God, our Father in heaven, hear the prayers of your children united in the name of Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. Amen.
