Mass Readings: Gen 18:20-32 Ps
138 Col 2: 12-14 Lk 11: 1-13
Key Verse to be
Meditate: And He said to
them, "When you pray, say: 'Father, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come
(Lk 11:2).
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The Seventeenth
Sunday in Ordinary Time offers us one of the most cherished prayers in all of
Christianity — the ‘Our Father’, taught to us by Jesus Himself. This
prayer beautifully encapsulates the essence of Jesus’ faith in God the Father.
His belief in prayer and His unwavering trust in the Father's presence
throughout His life and ministry are evident in this profound act of teaching.
The Our
Father seamlessly weaves together four key aspects of faith: praise,
intercession, forgiveness, and trust in divine providence. Today’s readings
flow in continuity with last Sunday’s liturgical texts. The First Reading
presents God’s intention to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah — not only
because of their immorality, but also for their failure to show genuine
hospitality to strangers. Abraham’s role as an intercessor teaches us the
profound importance of praying for others, especially seeking God’s mercy and
forgiveness on their behalf.
In the
Second Reading, St. Paul uses rich theological imagery to describe what God has
accomplished in Christ through His death, burial, and resurrection. He
emphasizes that it is through the sacrificial death of Christ (Rom 8:3) that we
are made alive through faith.
The
First Reading – Abraham’s Intercession for Sodom
At the
beginning of Genesis chapter 18, we see the Lord appearing to Abraham in the
form of three angelic visitors. Abraham receives them as guests, and after the
meal, they promise that Sarah will bear a child. Once they depart, the Lord
reveals to Abraham His intention to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Abraham, moved by compassion, becomes an intercessor.
The
narrator of Genesis later reveals, in chapter 19, that there were no righteous
inhabitants in Sodom, except Lot—a sojourner—and his immediate family (Gen
19:9). Despite Abraham’s earnest intercession and Lot’s pleading, only Lot and
his daughters are ultimately saved. The Lord rains down brimstone and fire from
heaven, destroying the cities and everything in them (Gen 19:24–25).
In today’s reading, Abraham stands in reverent fear
before God and pleads with Him not to destroy the righteous along with the
wicked:
“Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?” (Gen 18:23).
He humbly but persistently petitions God, appealing to His justice:
“Far be it from You to do such a thing... Shall not the Judge of all the
earth do what is just?” (Gen 18:25).
Abraham, standing before the Lord (Gen 18:22;
19:27), draws near to Him and intercedes repeatedly, asking whether the city
would be spared for the sake of 50, 45, 40, 30, 20, or even just 10 righteous
people. Remarkably, the Lord listens to Abraham’s pleas and responds:
“If I find in Sodom fifty (or forty-five, forty, thirty, twenty, or ten)
righteous people, I will spare the whole place for their sake” (Gen 18:26,
28–32).
Abraham’s
intercession reveals his deep faith in God's mercy and justice. His tenacious
prayer invites us to stand in solidarity with others in intercessory prayer —
for our communities, for the world, and in times of both natural and man-made
disasters. This passage also connects us with the intercessory role of Moses in
Exodus (chapters 32–34) and the prophetic tradition of standing before God on
behalf of the people (cf. 1 Sam 12:23; Amos 7:1–9; Jer 14:7–9; 15:1).
The
Second Reading – Buried with Christ, Raised to New Life
In the
Second Reading, St. Paul uses vivid metaphorical language to describe the
saving work of God in Christ. Through Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection,
salvation has been made available to all. Paul underscores that believers
participate in this salvific mystery through baptism.
Although
the full theology of baptism had not yet developed during Paul’s time, he
already presents baptism symbolically as a burial with Christ — a dying to the
old self. Immersion in baptismal water represents a descent into the tomb, a
total identification with the death of Jesus. It also signifies our willingness
to share in His sufferings and embrace His resurrection.
Baptism,
for Paul, is not merely a ritual but a profound surrender to the paschal
mystery. It is in this act that the old self — what he calls the “old humanity”
(Col 3:9) — is symbolically circumcised, stripped away, and buried. The
believer, through this sacred act, is reborn into a new life in Christ.
Paul
further connects Christ’s resurrection to the new life of the baptized. Just as
Christ rose from the dead, so too does the believer rise to a new life in the
Spirit (Rom 6:5; 8:11; 1 Cor 15:47–49; Phil 3:10, 21). For Paul, those living
in sin are spiritually dead. In the context of Judaism, the Gentiles—being
outside the covenant—were also considered spiritually dead. Yet Paul proclaims
that through Christ’s sacrificial death, their sins are forgiven, and they are
brought to life through faith.
We Are Forgiven in Christ
Paul
assures the Colossians that through the shedding of His blood, Christ has
erased every transgression. He has canceled the record of our sins and nailed
it to the cross. Now, all—Jew and Gentile alike—are made alive in Him.
Forgiveness, then, is not an abstract concept but a living reality made
possible by Christ's passion, death, and resurrection.
The Gospel Reading
Today’s
Gospel presents the Lord’s Prayer, known as the ‘Our Father’. The first
part focuses on God’s holiness and the coming of His Kingdom: “Hallowed be
Thy name, Thy Kingdom come.” The second part includes three personal
petitions of the disciples. The first is a prayer for daily sustenance — ἄρτος
(artos), meaning bread (Lk 11:3). The second is a plea for forgiveness — ἀφίημι
(aphiēmi) of sins (Lk 11:4; Mt 6:12). The prayer concludes with a request
for protection from πειρασμός (peirasmos) — temptation (Lk 11:4),
referring both to inner struggles and external trials that may test the faith
of believers.
This
Gospel begins with the words: “Jesus was praying in a certain place” (Lk
11:1; cf. Lk 3:21; 5:16; 6:12; 9:29). Frequent withdrawal from crowds and
active ministry was a hallmark of Jesus’ spirituality. He prayed with deep
reverence, always seeking communion with the Father (Lk 6:12). What stood out
was how Jesus prayed — intimately and personally, calling God “Father.” He
likely shared with His disciples the very prayer He Himself prayed to the
Father.
When
asked by His disciples to teach them how to pray, Jesus responded with “Father”
(πατήρ — pater) (Lk 11:2). Matthew adds: “Our Father, who art in heaven”
(Mt 6:9). This is the only recorded instance in Luke where the disciples
directly request instruction on prayer. Notably, Jesus didn’t teach them to say
“My Father,” but “Our Father,” reinforcing the communal dimension of prayer.
While calling God “Father” was not unknown in Jewish tradition, Jesus stood in
solidarity with His disciples in this intimate address to God.
Why Did the Disciples Ask Jesus to Teach Them to
Pray?
Though
the disciples were not unfamiliar with prayer — being raised in devout Jewish
households where prayer was central — what they witnessed in Jesus was entirely
different. His prayer was marked by reverential fear, yet also a deep
familiarity with God, which they had never seen. As observant Jews, they would
have prayed regularly in synagogues and personally, facing Jerusalem three
times a day (Dan 6:11; Ps 55:17).
A Community Before God
The
prayer ‘Our Father’ highlights the importance of communal prayer. For
Jews, community prayer was essential — seen in practices like the Eighteen
Benedictions and the many prayers of the Qumran community. The early
disciples of Jesus, as they gathered around Him, slowly recognized that He was
forming them into a new community of faith.
When
the ‘Our Father’ is recited during Sunday Mass or in gatherings of the
faithful, it expresses the shared intentions and unity of the Church. Communal
prayer is a sign of authentic discipleship. It reminds us that we are children
of the same Father and members of the same spiritual family — the Church.
Jesus Made the Powerful God Knowable
When
we enter a church, we recognize it as the house of God. There, we call upon God
as “Our Father” (Jn 14:26). In Jewish tradition, prayer was deeply
connected with temple worship (Lk 1:10; 2:37; 18:10), and the temple was
rightly called a ‘house of prayer’ (Ezra 5:12), where God’s presence was
experienced.
Jesus
not only taught reverence in prayer but also made the powerful and transcendent
God intimately knowable. He taught that our understanding of who God is shapes
both the way we pray and how we relate to Him. The ‘Our Father’ prayer
is, in essence, about this relationship — recognizing God's holiness,
sovereignty, and our dependence on Him.
Prayer as Identity and Relationship
When
we pray the ‘Our Father’, we are reminded of three things: who God is,
who we are, and who we are to one another. Prayer is the sacred space where we
recover the true identity of God, our own identity as beloved sons and
daughters, and our bond with each other in the community of faith.
The ‘Our
Father’ is a prayer of remembrance — remembering that we are wholly and
uniquely loved by God. It reminds us that prayer begins and ends with
recognizing whom we are speaking to. We address our heavenly Father with
reverence, knowing that our lives belong entirely to Him. In community prayer,
we rediscover not only our identity but also God’s and that of our brothers and
sisters. Recognizing this can lead to a true interior transformation, realizing
that we are all woven together in God’s love.
The Parable of the Friend at Midnight
The
second part of today’s Gospel contains the parable of the friend at midnight.
It mirrors God’s merciful response to our persistent prayer. The request for
three loaves of bread reflects humility and a desire to show hospitality — a
virtue highly esteemed in the Old Testament (cf. Gen 18). This parable teaches
that persistence in prayer can touch the heart of God. Like the friend who does
not give up knocking, we are called to persevere in faith and prayer, trusting
in God's goodness.
Ask, Seek, Knock
Jesus
then gives us a spiritual principle: “Ask, and it will be given you; seek,
and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks
receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be
opened” (Lk 11:9–10).
We are
invited to ask God for what we need — confidently and persistently. As 1 Peter
5:7 says: “Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.”
Jesus assures us that the Father will never give us anything harmful. If a son
asks for a fish, a good father will not give him a snake. Likewise, God will
not give His children anything evil.
Even
more, Jesus promises that the Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who
ask. The Spirit grants us wisdom to discern good from evil and to choose what
pleases the Lord.
Points
for Personal Reflection
- The ‘Our Father’
emphasizes the communal nature of prayer. It begins with “Our,” not “My.”
Jesus invites the entire community to address God as Father.
- The Church should be a
training ground for prayer — especially during Sunday Mass, Eucharistic
Adoration, and local Church celebrations. In this way, every family
becomes a domestic Church, a house of prayer (Mk 11:17; Is 56:7).
- When we pray to the
Father, we must desire His presence in our lives. When God’s Kingdom
reigns in our hearts, we are more willing to do His will.
- True prayer helps us
avoid situations of temptation and strengthens us to live in forgiveness.
- When entering Church, do
I pause to recognize the holy presence of God? Do I pray with reverence,
asking, seeking, and knocking at the door of God’s mercy and grace?
Conclusion
The
first and the second readings of today invite us into the heart of Christian
prayer and faith. From Abraham’s bold and heartfelt intercession for a sinful
city, to Paul’s profound teaching on the transformative power of baptism and
forgiveness, we are reminded of our call to live as intercessors and
participants in Christ’s saving work.
Let us
approach the Father with faith, knowing that our prayers — like Abraham’s — are
heard. And let us remember that through baptism, we are united to Christ’s
death and resurrection, called to live as forgiven and renewed children of God.
The ‘Our
Father’ is not merely a prayer to be recited, but a way of life to be
embraced. It teaches us to live as God's children, to trust in His providence,
and to build a community of faith rooted in love, reverence, and unity. Let us
pray it with awareness, allowing it to shape our hearts and transform our
lives.
