Hymns for Mass – Press Here

FIRST READING (Let not my Lord grow angry if I speak.)

A reading from the Book of Genesis (18:20-32)

In those days, the Lord said: “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great, and their sin so grave, that I must go down and see whether or not their actions fully correspond to the cry against them that comes to me. I mean to find out.”

While Abraham’s visitors walked on farther toward Sodom, the Lord remained standing before Abraham. Then Abraham drew nearer and said: “Will you sweep away the innocent with the guilty? Suppose there were fifty innocent people in the city; would you wipe out the place, rather than spare it for the sake of the fifty innocent people within it? Far be it from you to do such a thing, to make the innocent die with the guilty, so that the innocent and the guilty would be treated alike! Should not the judge of all the world act with justice?” The Lord replied, “If I find fifty innocent people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.” Abraham spoke up again: “See how I am presuming to speak to my Lord, though I am but dust and ashes! What if there are five less than fifty innocent people? Will you destroy the whole city because of those five?” He answered, “I will not destroy it, if I find forty-five there.” But Abraham persisted, saying, “What if only forty are found there?” He replied, “I will forebear doing it for the sake of the forty.” Then Abraham said, “Let not my Lord grow impatient if I go on. What if only thirty are found there?” He replied, “I will forebear doing it if I can find but thirty there.” Still Abraham went on, “Since I have thus dared to speak to my Lord, what if there are no more than twenty?” The Lord answered, “I will not destroy it, for the sake of the twenty.” But he still persisted: “Please, let not my Lord grow angry if I speak up this last time. What if there are at least ten there?” He replied, “For the sake of those ten, I will not destroy it.” —The Word of the Lord.

R. Thanks be to God.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM (138:1-2, 2-3, 6-7, 7-8)

R. Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me. (Ps 138:3a)

I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with all my heart, for you have heard the words of my mouth; in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise; I will worship at your holy temple and give thanks to your name. (R)

Because of your kindness and your truth; for you have made great above all things your name and your promise. When I called you answered me; you built up strength within me. (R)

The Lord is exalted, yet the lowly he sees, and the proud he knows from afar. Though I walk amid distress, you preserve me; against the anger of my enemies you raise your hand. (R)

Your right hand saves me. The Lord will complete what he has done for me; your kindness, O Lord, endures forever; forsake not the work of your hands. (R)

SECOND READING (God has brought you to life along with Christ, having forgiven us all our transgressions.)

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Colossians (2:12-14)

Brothers and sisters: You were buried with Christ in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. And even when you were dead in transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he brought you to life along with him, having forgiven us all our transgressions; obliterating the bond against us, with its legal claims, which was opposed to us, he also removed it from our midst, nailing it to the cross. —The Word of the Lord.

R. Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (Rom 8:15bc)

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

You have received a Spirit of adoption, through which we cry, Abba, Father. (R)

GOSPEL (Ask and you will receive.)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (11:1-13)

Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, 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.”

And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing to offer him,’ and he says in reply from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked and my children and I are already in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.’ I tell you, if he does not get up to give the visitor the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence.

“And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?” —The Gospel of the Lord.

R. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Homily

Let us pray !

One distinct memory of my childhood when I learned how to pray was about praying the rosary. It was the month of May, and our class in grade school had a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes that circulated from family to family. As my family’s turn came, my mother set up a small shrine at the top of the stairs from our ground floor to the 1st floor. The statue was brought by one of the parish priests, and my parents knelt on the top stairs with us kneeling or sitting nearby. I had known the prayers of the Hail Mary and Our Father, but this experience of my family praying devotedly together has remained. I might not remember as clearly learning to read, or my parents teaching me how to eat, but always remember them – and my grandparents too – teaching me how to pray.

At this same time in first grade, we were introduced to the catechism and we all memorized this phrase: “Prayer is the lifting of our minds and hearts to God.” The catechism went on teach us of various forms of prayer: petition – praying to seek God’s favour or help for something; then adoration – in which we praise God’s glory. Then there is prayer of thanksgiving, in which we express gratitude for God’s goodness towards us. Finally, we have prayer for forgiveness, praying for God’s forgiveness for our offenses against his goodness. PETITION, ADORATION, THANKSGIVING, and FORGIVNESS.

But for me, one of the best and simplest definitions for prayer is – TALKING with God – talking WITH God, not merely talking TO God. Reciting or repeating prayers we have been taught is a very good way to start, but this is only part of the conversation. This definition of prayer says that God speaks to us as well – it is not a one-way conversation. How can we be sure that what we think is God talking to us is not simply our own imagination working overtime? We probably cannot be sure, but that should not stop us from lifting our minds and hearts to God. Still, there are times when we feel that God isn’t listening, or is not interested, or that God seems to totally reject what we are saying or trying to say.

Our Gospel today tells us what to do at those times. Like the man in the story, we are encouraged to keep knocking at the door. Jesus assures us that our prayers to God will be heard. This assurance is grounded in God’s unbounded love for us. After all, if loving parents shower their children with everything good, how much more will God give to us what is good for us?

But this raises another issue. We may not always receive that for which we pray; instead, something entirely different may come our way. Some people deal with possible disappointment in this matter by saying, “I asked something of God, and God’s answer was NO!” Such a statement is not helpful, for it casts God in a very human, almost unsympathetic light. While prayer of petition is an acknowledgement of our total dependence on God – a religious disposition to be applauded – prayer itself should not be seen as a quid pro quo exchange (I ask – YOU give!).

We must never stop turning to God in our need. Yet, in our need we must often stand patiently and await God’s response. We should remember that PETITION is only one form of prayer. There is also prayer of PRAISE, of THANKSGIVING, and of CONTRITION. These other prayers might be seen as our response to God, who has spoken to us before we even think to pray. God speaks to us through the wonders of creation, and we burst forth with praise. God speaks through the blessedness of the people and events in our lives, and we express gratitude. And when we have been unfaithful to our covenant commitment, God calls us back through forgiveness and we repent.

Our first reading from Genesis today provides us with another side to prayer. Concerned about the fate of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham pleads for the inhabitants who are innocent. Abraham has a deep and abiding trust of God’s mercy. Taken together with the persistent man knocking at the door in the Gospel, both Abraham and the man would not have kept pleading if they did not believe their prayers would go unanswered. Both people demonstrate perseverance in prayer even in the face of apparent obstacles. And both stories reveal genuine solicitude for the welfare of others.

Perhaps prayer is a problem for us, not because God does not seem to respond to our petitions, but because we do not respond to God, who is continually speaking to us through the blessings already bestowed on us, such as what Paul teaches in our 2nd reading from Colossians. Paul describes the basis and depth of these blessings. He reminds us that God did not save us in Christ because we deserved it, but because he first LOVED us. Even when we were dead because of sin, God brought us to life. Our prayer, whether of petition, praise, gratitude or contrition, should be our response to this overwhelming love.

Prayers

Celebrant: “Lord teach us to pray!” Let us come to our heavenly father with the trust and confidence of the prayer our Lord taught us.

READER: For perseverance in prayer, that, in imitation of Abraham’s pleading before Almighty God, we too be persistent in our prayer as we
seek to be faithful to the Lord, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

READER: For a continued sense and experience of new life in Christ, that as we were buried and raised with Christ through Baptism, we may rejoice in our union with him, acknowledging the forgiveness of all sin for those who share life with God, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

READER: For the right attitude in prayer, that as we acknowledge God as creator and ruler over us, our prayers reflect our faith and trust in God’s goodness, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

READER: For a deeper appreciation of God’s generous love for us, that this love and Christ’s teaching may help us to pray in moments of doubt, and never to fear to ask, to seek, and to find the Lord wherever he be found in our life, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

READER: For all those who are in need of our prayers today, and for our faithful departed loved ones, that they may be welcomed into the heavenly Jerusalem and find their eternal comfort and reward there, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

CELEBRANT: Lord God, as Jesus taught us, we knock on the door of your mercy, and seek your good gifts for body, soul, and spirit. Grant to us what you have inspired in us to seek through prayer, in the name of Jesus our Lord . (all) AMEN.