Daily Retreat 10/11/06
2006 Oct 11 Wed: Ordinary Weekday
Gal 2: 1-2. 7-14/ Ps 116(117): 1bc. 2/ Lk 11: 1-4
From today’s readings: “James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas their right hands in partnership, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.... Go out to all the world, and tell the Good News.... Lord, teach us to pray....”
Teach Us to Pray
When we pray the Lord’s prayer, we usually follow the version found in Matthew’s Gospel, which is slightly longer than the rendering in Luke’s Gospel. But, in both cases, Jesus wasn’t teaching certain “magic words” which would invoke God’s power - rather, Jesus was teaching what should be the heart of all our prayer!
So, today’s brief Gospel passage is the springboard for two essential and profound steps in our prayer life. First, we begin with the humble plea, “Lord, teach us to pray.....” Some of us need Jesus to teach us how to find time to pray, or how to be less distracted in prayer, or how to persevere when we feel unmotivated - each of us has much to learn from Jesus’ teachings about prayer!
And second, you and I can thoughtfully take a closer look at the words and petitions of the Lord’s prayer, and then truly make that our own prayer....
Gal 2: 1-2. 7-14/ Ps 116(117): 1bc. 2/ Lk 11: 1-4
From today’s readings: “James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas their right hands in partnership, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.... Go out to all the world, and tell the Good News.... Lord, teach us to pray....”
Teach Us to Pray
When we pray the Lord’s prayer, we usually follow the version found in Matthew’s Gospel, which is slightly longer than the rendering in Luke’s Gospel. But, in both cases, Jesus wasn’t teaching certain “magic words” which would invoke God’s power - rather, Jesus was teaching what should be the heart of all our prayer!
So, today’s brief Gospel passage is the springboard for two essential and profound steps in our prayer life. First, we begin with the humble plea, “Lord, teach us to pray.....” Some of us need Jesus to teach us how to find time to pray, or how to be less distracted in prayer, or how to persevere when we feel unmotivated - each of us has much to learn from Jesus’ teachings about prayer!
And second, you and I can thoughtfully take a closer look at the words and petitions of the Lord’s prayer, and then truly make that our own prayer....
posted by FrPitstick | 10/06/2006
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