The WORD
today (see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/101117.cfm)
reminds me how complete and powerful the Lord's prayer is.
The
first reading is the continuation of yesterday's reading. Jonah was angry because
God spared the people. He should be happy for the people of Nineveh, but he was
not. His heart and his focus were on the wrong place. This could be avoided if
we follow Jesus's prayer.
The gospel shows us Jesus
teaching us how to pray. It is a simple prayer, one of the first prayers we
usually memorize. Unfortunately, because we have known this prayer since we
were kids, we sometimes fail to see the beauty and depth of this prayer who
Jesus himself taught us. Sharing with you a way I learned on how to see this
prayer in a different way – with a foundation verse and some things to ponder
upon as we pray each part of it.
Father, hollowed be your name
So
the LORD passed before him and proclaimed: The LORD, the LORD, a God gracious
and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in love and fidelity, continuing his
love for a thousand generations, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin;
yet not declaring the guilty guiltless, but bringing punishment for their
parents’ wickedness on children and children’s children to the third and fourth
generation! (Exodus 34: 6-7 -http://www.usccb.org/bible/exodus/34)
--- We remember our God, especially as we read n the first reading, how
he spared Nineveh. We remember what our God is like. We remember what God has
done for us. We remember his greatness and power. We remember his gentleness
and mercy. We remember how blessed we are having such a great God. We are
blessed that we can call him our God, our Father. We should be thankful and be
full of awe as we pray, as we worship our God.
Your
kingdom come
But seek first the kingdom (of
God) and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you
besides (Matthew 6:33 -http://www.usccb.org/bible/matthew/6)
--- Out of love for him, we pray that we would have the heart to seek
and obey God’s will in our lives. We pray for faith, knowing that as we seek
His will, he will bless us and give us the things that we need in this world,
as we serve and glorify him with our lives. We also pray for others, that they
also seek and obey God's will in their lives.
Give us
each day our daily bread
so you might know that it is
not by bread alone* that people live, but by all that comes forth from the
mouth of the LORD. (Deuteronomy 8:3b –http://www.usccb.org/bible/deuteronomy/8)
--- We pray for God daily to sustain us, not just physically, but more
importantly, spiritually. We remember that in this life, we need more than just
physical food. Yes, man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that
comes forth from the mouth of God. We need his word, we need to get to know him
more, so we would be able to truly live, truly serve and glorify Him.
And
forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us
If we acknowledge our sins, he
is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every
wrongdoing. (1 John 1:9 -http://www.usccb.org/bible/1john/1)
--- The gospel says we should forgive so we would be forgiven. We also see this
in the first reading, when God asked Jonah why he is acting like that. We are
all sinners, and we have all sinned, so we should also learn to
forgive. We also pray for humility that we would recognize our sins. We are far
from perfect, and we ask God for forgiveness. We humbly come to him for
forgiveness. We have faith that as we do, God forgives us and cleanses us. We also
pray for those who have sinned against us, that as we forgive them and as God
changes us, they also welcome God and allow Him to change their lives.
And do not
subject us to the final test
No trial has come to you but
what is human. God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your
strength; but with the trial he will also provide a way out, so that you may be
able to bear it. (1 Corinthians 10:13 -http://www.usccb.org/bible/1corinthians/10)
--- In faith, we call on Him to save and protect us. We have faith that
he will not give us what we can’t bear. We have faith that God will be with us
as we fight our battles, as we win over the enemy. We also pray for others who
are undergoing challenges, that they may remain faithful to God, and realize
that God will always be with us as we become victorious in Him.
May we see the Lord’s prayer in
a new perspective and make it our own, personal prayer.
Father God,
Thank you for
today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for reminding me how
important and powerful prayer is. Thank you for the Lord’s prayer that is a
simple, yet complete prayer. Sorry for the many times I pray this with my lips
and not my heart. Sorry for not taking time to reflect. May I look past
the normalcy of this prayer and see the beauty and completeness of this. may I
make this my own personal prayer to tell you how much I love you, how much I am
sorry for my sins, how I long for you, how I praise you, and how I surrender my
life to you. As I pray this, may I be more and more like you and like
Jesus. Amen.
Blessed
day!
In
Christ,
-g-
Lectionary: 463
Wednesday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Reading 1JON 4:1-11
and became angry that God did not carry out the evil
he threatened against Nineveh.
He prayed, "I beseech you, LORD,
is not this what I said while I was still in my own country?
This is why I fled at first to Tarshish.
I knew that you are a gracious and merciful God,
slow to anger, rich in clemency, loath to punish.
And now, LORD, please take my life from me;
for it is better for me to die than to live."
But the LORD asked, "Have you reason to be angry?"
Jonah then left the city for a place to the east of it,
where he built himself a hut and waited under it in the shade,
to see what would happen to the city.
And when the LORD God provided a gourd plant
that grew up over Jonah's head,
giving shade that relieved him of any discomfort,
Jonah was very happy over the plant.
But the next morning at dawn
God sent a worm that attacked the plant,
so that it withered.
And when the sun arose, God sent a burning east wind;
and the sun beat upon Jonah's head till he became faint.
Then Jonah asked for death, saying,
"I would be better off dead than alive."
But God said to Jonah,
"Have you reason to be angry over the plant?"
"I have reason to be angry," Jonah answered, "angry enough to die."
Then the LORD said,
"You are concerned over the plant which cost you no labor
and which you did not raise;
it came up in one night and in one night it perished.
And should I not be concerned over Nineveh, the great city,
in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons
who cannot distinguish their right hand from their left,
not to mention the many cattle?"
Responsorial Psalm
PS 86:3-4, 5-6, 9-10
Have mercy on me, O Lord,
for to you I call all the day.
Gladden the soul of your servant,
for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
R. Lord, you are merciful and gracious.
For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
abounding in kindness to all who call upon you.
Hearken, O LORD, to my prayer
and attend to the sound of my pleading.
R. Lord, you are merciful and gracious.
All the nations you have made shall come
and worship you, O Lord,
and glorify your name.
For you are great, and you do wondrous deeds;
you alone are God.
R. Lord, you are merciful and gracious.
AlleluiaROM 8:15BC
You have received a spirit of adoption as sons
through which we cry: Abba! Father!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 11:1-4
one of his disciples said to him,
"Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples."
He said to them, "When you pray, say:
Father, hallowed be your name,
your Kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread
and forgive us our sins
for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us,
and do not subject us to the final test."
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