First reading 2 Corinthians 11:1-11
I was careful not to be a burden to you in any way
I only wish you were able to tolerate a little foolishness from me. But of course: you are tolerant towards me. You see, the jealousy that I feel for you is God’s own jealousy: I arranged for you to marry Christ so that I might give you away as a chaste virgin to this one husband. But the serpent, with his cunning, seduced Eve, and I am afraid that in the same way your ideas may get corrupted and turned away from simple devotion to Christ. Because any new-comer has only to proclaim a new Jesus, different from the one that we preached, or you have only to receive a new spirit, different from the one you have already received, or a new gospel, different from the one you have already accepted – and you welcome it with open arms. As far as I can tell, these arch-apostles have nothing more than I have. I may not be a polished speechmaker, but as for knowledge, that is a different matter; surely we have made this plain, speaking on every subject in front of all of you.
Or was I wrong, lowering myself so as to lift you high, by preaching the gospel of God to you and taking no fee for it? I was robbing other churches, living on them so that I could serve you. When I was with you and ran out of money, I was no burden to anyone; the brothers who came from Macedonia provided me with everything I wanted. I was very careful, and I always shall be, not to be a burden to you in any way, and by Christ’s truth in me, this cause of boasting will never be taken from me in the regions of Achaia. Would I do that if I did not love you? God knows I do.
Responsorial Psalm 110(111):1-4,7-8
Your works, Lord, are justice and truth.
or
Alleluia!
I will thank the Lord with all my heart
in the meeting of the just and their assembly.
Great are the works of the Lord,
to be pondered by all who love them.
Your works, Lord, are justice and truth.
or
Alleluia!
Majestic and glorious his work,
his justice stands firm for ever.
He makes us remember his wonders.
The Lord is compassion and love.
Your works, Lord, are justice and truth.
or
Alleluia!
His works are justice and truth,
his precepts are all of them sure,
standing firm for ever and ever;
they are made in uprightness and truth.
Your works, Lord, are justice and truth.
or
Alleluia!
Gospel Matthew 6:7-15
How to pray
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘In your prayers do not babble as the pagans do, for they think that by using many words they will make themselves heard. Do not be like them; your Father knows what you need before you ask him. So you should pray like this:
‘Our Father in heaven,
may your name be held holy,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven those who are in debt to us.
And do not put us to the test,
but save us from the evil one.
‘Yes, if you forgive others their failings, your heavenly Father will forgive you yours; but if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive your failings either.’
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Our Father
In today’s Gospel, Jesus calls us to trust in God. When we pray, we need to exercise our trust in God, our loving Father, who is with us and cares for us. It is important to remember that in prayer, we are not relating to an abstract concept of God, but to a personal God who is the source of our life and everything we have and are. Let us take time to let these words spoken by Jesus to sink in, “Our Father”. This is who God is. We can trust and depend on Him because He knows us completely, and in knowing us, He loves us with His unconditional love.
In the presence of God, our loving Father, we do not need to flood Him with words after words, as if more words will lead to greater success in getting what we want. God knows what we need before we even ask Him. So why do we pray? We pray, not for God’s benefit, but for our own. Prayer helps us to recognise our limitations and helplessness, as well as our dependence on Him. We pray to listen to what He wants from us, enabling us to live in accordance with our true purpose.
Reflective question:
Am I conscious of whom I am connecting with when I pray?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year C” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD.
