Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

READINGS
 

First Reading — Abraham bargains with God to spare the city (Genesis 18:20-32).

Psalm — Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me (Psalm 138).

Second Reading — Buried with Christ in baptism, we were also raised with him; all our transgressions are forgiven (Colossians 2:12-14).

Gospel — Jesus speaks of God’s sure response to those who pray (Luke 11:1-13).

CONVERSATION WITH GOD
 

Prayer is our focus this weekend. In the Gospel, Jesus gives his disciples, and us, the Lord’s Prayer, which we have cherished through the centuries. The first two words encompass much about our faith—unity among all Christians (Our), and a sense that we are in a deeply bonded relationship with God (Father).
 

In Genesis, we see Abraham in conversational prayer, in his creaturely humility before his Creator, seeking mercy and compassion for the innocent. The psalm is a lyrical prayer of thanksgiving and praise for the God who answered the sincere prayers of a people who had called out for help, showing them mercy. In Luke’s Gospel, the disciples want to pray like Jesus, with the same intimacy—to experience God as Abba in the depths of their being.
 

Do we try to talk to God? Do we listen for answers? This relationship is always a work in progress.