Contemplating the Gospel: the Lord's prayer

Monday, July 26, 2010

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Sunday's (yesterday's) scriptures gave us a chance to think about our prayer life. Prayer is an essential part of genuine Catholic living. Abraham's faith moved him to some bold negotiating to receive God's compassionate response. Jesus taught us the Lord's Prayer, the Our Father and then told a story about perseverance in prayer based on our faith that God is our loving Father who will give us what is good for us.

Last Sunday we also heard Jesus' affirmation of Martha's sister, Mary, because she took time to just sit in Jesus' presence and listen to him, something that must be part of our prayer life also. Vocal prayer, however, occupies much of our prayer time but we must not try to do all the talking--listen to what Jesus wants to say to us in our time and place.

Here is the prayer of Pope Benedict XVI at the end of his first encyclical on Charity. It may help us to get used to both speaking and listening in our prayer life.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, you have given the world its true light, Jesus, your son--the Son of God. You abandoned yourself completely to God's call and thus became a wellspring of the goodness which flows forth from him. Show us Jesus. Lead us to him. Teach us to know and love him, so that we too can become capable of true love and be fountains of living water in the midst of a thirsting world.

Bishop William R. Houck is President Emeritus of the Catholic Extension Society.

The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author only, not of Spero News.

Filed under religion, catholic

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