Commentary of the Gospell

July 24, 2022

Intercessory Prayer

Read:
Abraham intercedes before Yahweh for Sodom and Gomorrah on account of the good souls there. God forgave our sins thanks to the intercession of Christ. Jesus teaches the disciples how to pray.

Reflect:
The power of intercessory prayer to trump justice in favor of mercy! The cry of justice against Sodom and Gomorrah had reached the throne of God. However, Abraham takes it upon himself to plead for mercy on the twin cities, on account of some good souls there. He resorts to bargaining, succeeding all the way to get God to spare the cities if there were at least ten good souls there. If Abraham bargained with God, Christ’s bargain beats every other: he does so on behalf of us, offering up himself in our place. Can God ever refuse such an intercession? Jesus assures the disciples of the power of intercession, when he narrates the parable of a man who pleads for food for his friend who came visiting. Whatever we ask in prayer, especially when it is on behalf of another, is granted: perhaps not exactly as we desire, but far better than we can ever imagine. 

Pray:
Pray interceding for the needs of those around you.

Act:
Be the answer to prayer. Identify the need of a neighbor and respond to the same.

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Today’s Gospel tells us: “When Jesus was praying, one of his disciples said in the name of all the disciples: “Lord, we want you to teach us to pray” (Luke 1,1). And it was this vision of “Jesus praying” that led him to make the prayer. To this request we owe the Lord’s prayer, the Lord’s Prayer. It is the perfect prayer and the model of all prayers. It has been praised as the true synthesis of the Gospel, a compendium of theology and life, a programme of the life of Jesus and the tabernacle of his Spirit. In the first part of the Lord’s Prayer God is invoked by calling him Father, in the second part he asks us to pray for us. To answer this question we have to look at the conditions that the Lord tells us: it must be humble, trusting, and persevering. 

In the Garden of Olives, the Lord prayed: “Father, let this cup pass from me, but not my will but yours be done”.

And today in the Lord’s Prayer he tells us to pray like this: “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”.

Today is a good day to ask the Lord to “teach us to pray”. We need to say the Our Father slowly, to think about what we say, to dwell on each of its petitions. We need a catechesis on it to value it, to understand it and to live it. 

(Pope Francis) Prayer is the first and foremost working tool we have in our hands. Insisting to God does not serve to convince Him, but to strengthen our faith and our patience, that is, our capacity to fight with Him for things that are really important and necessary. In prayer we are two, God and I, fighting together for the important things. 

(Psalm 137) When I called out to you, you heard me, Lord.

“HAPPY SUMMER TO ALL “.

Paulson Veliyannoor, CMF - Claretian Publications Philippines