REFLECTION:
In this gospel Jesus “teach[es] us to pray”. Most important, he teaches us to whom we pray: God who is a generous and caring Father. He also teaches us for what we should pray: not just for immediate needs (“daily bread”) but, more for ultimate needs: the furthering of God’s kingdom, the gift of forgiveness, and protection from anything that would take us from God. It is persistence in prayer that brings us deeper into our relationship with God and opens us to receive these “good gifts” God offers us.
- Jesus’ Our Father reveals God as . . . It discloses my deepest self as . . . It characterizes my relationship with God as . . .
- What is most comforting about praying is . . .most difficult is . . .
- The part “persistence” plays in my prayer life is . . .
Connecting the Gospel
to the first reading: Abraham’s persistence may not have obtained the ultimate deliverance of Sodom and Gomorrah, but it did reveal to Abraham something about God: the One who is compass-
ionate and just.
to our experience: We often use prayer as an opportunity to tell God what we need. Prayer is also the opportunity God takes to reveal to us who God is (Father) and how God acts toward us (with compassion and care).
Reprinted with permission of Liturgical Press from: Living Liturgy