The readings will be as follows:1st Reading (Genesis 18:20-32)
*RESPONSORIAL PSALM Ps 13b:1-2a.2bcd-3. 5-7ab.7c-8 (R. 3a)
2nd Reading: (Colossians 2: 12-14)
Gospel Reading: (Luke 11: 1- 13)
Aikpokhio Anne
My Reflection
Persistence in Prayer
The readings admonish us not to give up even when the answer or solution is not forth coming. Rather, we should continue to ask God persistently in faith, believing that He will answer us.
Father Abraham didn't give up even when he knew that he had overburdened God. As a father of faith, he believes God will show mercy, and God actually did. God saved Lot and family through the Persistent Prayer of Father Abraham .
In the gospel reading, it says that because of the friend importunity, he will rise and give whatever he needs.
Let's not be discouraged when we're waiting and believing in God to help our situation.
Rather, we should consistently and persistently wait for Him. For God's time is the best.
The scripture says we should pray in and out of season. 1 Thes 5:17. Pray without ceasing.
Above all, we need the Holy Spirit to help us wait patiently on God's timing for us.
May the Holy Spirit empower us and give us the enabling graces we need to wait on God. Amen
Imagine that God was to save your nation, your community, your parish or even your family, and all he demands is one person who has been faithful to his/her baptismal vows. *Will my people be spared because of my faithfulness?*
This is the question that kept going through my mind as I went through the readings. In all these, we find God in the Gospel letting us know that his love is beyond our weaknesses. We may be unfaithful, but God is ever-faithful and in His goodness, he demands that we ask for our daily needs, especially the gift of Holy Spirit in order that we may be preserved from sin and unfaithfulness.
Today, the questions before me are these, "what is my attitude towards the gift of holy life which I received at baptism and which has been daily nourished and strengthened by the other sacraments?"
"How eager am I to maintaining the life of grace?"
May God help us all. Amen
Anyanwu Ugochukwu
PRAYAFUL INTASESHON
God wey create us know y e give us mouth….
Some of us talk pass parrot, some go just close mouth like say if dem talk, dem go kpai…. But, d kweshon wey I Dey ask my sef na say “wetin I Dey use my own mouth do”
Today now, see as Papa Abraham use mouth wey Baba God give am take shook mouth on top anoda pesin mata.
D wey e take put mouth show say “love” Dey ihm heart.
E be like were bobo dey toast baby…
As e take humbility ask na so God take pity ansa!
E use ihm mouth tak conjure blessing & favour on top anoda pesin. E know say Baba God wan strike, but e say e go use ihm mouth tak beg on behalf of dis pipul.
Abraham use ihm mouth do prayful intaseshon, and God hear am!
Na dis say way awa broda Luke take write am for gospel say: Jesus ihmsef teach ihm folowas how to use der mouth do “prayaful intaseshon”. E say make dem do am go where Baba God dey, and tru tru, Baba God dey hear wetin we use awa mouth talk.
My broda, my sista, u see dat baptism wey we collect, e be like early morning water wey we tak wash mouth wen we wake, d confamashon wey we receive… dat one na tooth paste and brush wey clean awa mouth make e no smell…. Meaning say we don ready to talk… na dis grace wey we don collet like dis na ihm wey suppose use dey do beta beta prayaful intaseshon. Y bcos, awa God keep ear down dey hear us.
I challenge u today, open dat yur mouth make u talk to Baba God…. Today Ihm go hear you. If you no get anything to talk, use yur mouth do “prayaful intaseshon for me”
Make we pray!🙏
God abeg, give us grace so dat we go fit use mouth wey u give us talk to you anitime and evry time bcos we blive say, as we dey talk am, You dey hear am…and as You dey hear am, You go do am for us…. Amen
The first reading and the gospel talks about the need for us to always communicate with God in prayer. Despite the fact that God knows what we need, he still wants us to ask in prayer and whenever we pray, we should have the faith and trust that whatever we ask for will be granted to us.
My reflection is on the gospel reading taking from (Luke 11:1-13): Jesus thought His disciples how to pray and also teaching us. Our Lord is a merciful God, if only we come to Him in sincerity of heart and pray to Him, He's always ready to listen to us. The bible has made it clear to us, if we're coming to the altar with our offering and we realized that we have a querell against our brother, He says, drop your offering before you get to the altar and reconcile with him/ her before you bring your gift to the altar. Our Lord is not a partial God, always working with instructions. He said it plainly if you don't forgive, you won't receive forgiveness either. We would continue to pray for the grace to forgive and forget what our fellow brothers do to us, so that whenever we approach God through prayers He will always be Merciful to listen to us and grant us our heart desires in accordance to His will through Christ our Lord amen.
The central theme of the readings is *persistence in prayer.*
*In the First Reading (Genesis 18:20–32),* Abraham dares to intercede for Sodom, trusting in God’s justice and mercy. His persistence shows that God listens when we pray with faith.
*St. Paul, in the second reading (Colossians 2:12–14),* reminds us that through Christ’s death and resurrection, our sins are forgiven and we are brought to a new life. This mercy is the foundation of our confidence in prayer.
*In the Gospel (Luke 11:1–13),* Jesus teaches us how to pray and urges us to be persistent: *_“Ask, seek, knock.”_* God is a loving Father who knows our needs and delights in answering us, especially by giving us the Holy Spirit.
_True prayer, then, is not a last resort, but a constant relationship which involves speaking, listening, trusting, and surrendering to the One who loves us beyond measure._
