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First Reading: Genesis 18:20-32
In those days, the LORD said: "The outcry against Sodomand Gomorrahis so great,
and their sin so grave,
that I must go down and see whether or not their actions
fully correspond to the cry against them that comes to me.
I mean to find out."
While Abraham's visitors walked on farther toward Sodom,
the LORD remained standing before Abraham.
Then Abraham drew nearer and said:
"Will you sweep away the innocent with the guilty?
Suppose there were fifty innocent people in the city;
would you wipe out the place, rather than spare it
for the sake of the fifty innocent people within it?
Far be it from you to do such a thing,
to make the innocent die with the guilty
so that the innocent and the guilty would be treated alike!
Should not the judge of all the world act with justice?"
The LORD replied,
"If I find fifty innocent people in the city of Sodom,
I will spare the whole place for their sake."
Abraham spoke up again:
"See how I am presuming to speak to my Lord,
though I am but dust and ashes!
What if there are five less than fifty innocent people?
Will you destroy the whole city because of those five?"
He answered, "I will not destroy it, if I find forty-five there."
But Abraham persisted, saying "What if only forty are found there?"
He replied, "I will forbear doing it for the sake of the forty."
Then Abraham said, "Let not my Lord grow impatient if I go on.
What if only thirty are found there?"
He replied, "I will forbear doing it if I can find but thirty there."
Still Abraham went on,
"Since I have thus dared to speak to my Lord,
what if there are no more than twenty?"
The LORD answered, "I will not destroy it, for the sake of the twenty."
But he still persisted:
"Please, let not my Lord grow angry if I speak up this last time.
What if there are at least ten there?"
He replied, "For the sake of those ten, I will not destroy it."
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 138:1-2, 2-3, 6-7, 7-8
R./ Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple
and give thanks to your name.
R./ Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
Because of your kindness and your truth;
for you have made great above all things
your name and your promise.
When I called you answered me;
you built up strength within me.
R./ Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
The Lord is exalted, yet the lowly he sees,
and the proud he knows from afar.
Though I walk amid distress, you preserve me;
against the anger of my enemies you raise your hand.
R./ Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
Your right hand saves me.
The Lord will complete what he has done for me;
your kindness, O Lord, endures forever;
forsake not the work of your hands.
R./ Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.
Second Reading: Colossians 2:12-14
Brothers and sisters:
You were buried with him in baptism,
in which you were also raised with him
through faith in the power of God,
who raised him from the dead.
And even when you were dead
in transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh,
he brought you to life along with him,
having forgiven us all our transgressions;
obliterating the bond against us, with its legal claims,
which was opposed to us,
he also removed it from our midst, nailing it to the cross.
Gospel Reading: Luke 11:1-13
Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished,
one of his disciples said to him,
"Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples."
He said to them, "When you pray, say:
Father, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread
and forgive us our sins
for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us,
and do not subject us to the final test."
And he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend
to whom he goes at midnight and says,
'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,
for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey
and I have nothing to offer him,'
and he says in reply from within,
'Do not bother me; the door has already been locked
and my children and I are already in bed.
I cannot get up to give you anything.'
I tell you,
if he does not get up to give the visitor the loaves
because of their friendship,
he will get up to give him whatever he needs
because of his persistence.
"And I tell you, ask and you will receive;
seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks, receives;
and the one who seeks, finds;
and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
What father among you would hand his son a snake
when he asks for a fish?
Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg?
If you then, who are wicked,
know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will the Father in heaven
give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?"
Greetings
Those are sons and daughters of God
who are led by the Spirit of God.
We have received a Spirit
who makes us God's children
and who make us cry out: Father!
May this Spirit be always with you.
R/ And also with you.
Introduction by the Celebrant
A. Speaking To Our Father
The first lengthy prayer we learned as children, and the prayer we still pray most often, is probably the "Our Father." Is it more than a formula to us? Is it to us, as it was for Jesus, a word of warmth and tenderness, and a cry of trust and close relationship? With Jesus we stand here before our Father and with the Spirit in our hearts we call out: "Father, our Father!"
B. Put Your Life In Your Prayer
It would perhaps be much easier for us to pray if prayer would not be just a compartment in life, some moments we reserve for certain places and occasions and times of special needs. Prayer is less a way of obtaining favors from God than a way of expressing to our Father in heaven, to Jesus or to the Spirit our trust in God, speaking about our life, our difficulties and our joys, entrusting to God those who are dear to us in life or in death and even recommending to him those who cause us trouble. And remember, in praying we do not try to bend God to our will but we ask that we may do his will. How long ago have we prayed this way?
Penitential Act
"Forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive
each one who is in debt to us"
is our prayer today in the Eucharist.
(pause)
Lord Jesus, you taught us
that God is our loving and forgiving Father
and that we can speak to him with all trust:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Jesus Christ, you have brought us together
to give with you all thanks and praise
to our Father in heaven:
Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, you brought us pardon
and you announce to us that the time has come
for peace and reconciliation with one another:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Have mercy on us, Lord,
and take all our sins away.
Make us messengers of your pardon and peace
and lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.
Opening Prayer
Let us pray in all simplicity to our heavenly Father
the way Jesus taught us
(pause)
God our Father,
we too are asking your Son
to teach us how to pray
and he has told us to speak to you with all trust.
Make us bold enough to pray insistently to you
and to keep asking for what we need
until in your kindness you give it,
to keep seeking until we find.
Do not allow us to forget to pray also
for the needs of others
and first of all for the things that matter:
you and your will and your kingdom.
We ask you this in the name of Jesus our Lord. R/ Amen.
Liturgy of the Word
First Reading Introduction: Insistent And Trusting Prayer
At Abraham's insistent prayer, the just God is willing to spare cities of sin for the sake of a handful of good people.
Second Reading Introduction: Christ, Our Mediator
We have been saved by the prayer in action of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We have become one with him in baptism.
Gospel Introduction: Children Speaking To Their Father
Before Jesus told his disciples how to pray and what to pray for, he revealed himself to them as a man of prayer.
General Intercessions
Let us pray to our Father in heaven with the complete trust that Jesus taught us and let us say: R/ Lord, hear our prayer.
• Let us pray for the pope, for bishops, priests, religious, and all committed men and women, that they may pray for the People of God in spirit and in truth, and prove the sincerity of their prayer by what they say to the people and do for them, as we say: R/ Lord, hear our prayer.
• Let us pray that we may learn to be constant in prayer, so that the source of our strength may never run dry and that we may live and work in the presence of God, as we say: R/ Lord, hear our prayer.
• Let us pray for all Christians and all people, that prayer may not become to them a flight from life or from involvement with people in need, as we say: R/ Lord, hear our prayer.
• Let us pray for all of us that we may not seek false security in piling up resounding words and that we may have the courage to face ourselves in all sincerity before God, as we pray: R/ Lord, hear our prayer.
• And may we also learn from Christ to place first things first when we pray, to give priority to the things that really matter: the coming of God's kingdom and the good of the People of God, as we say: R/ Lord, hear our prayer.
Father in heaven, open our eyes and ears to you, to ourselves and to people, that we may know what to pray for and that we may be open to your answer to our prayer, even when it is different from what we expect. We ask this through Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
Prayer over the Gifts
Our Father in heaven,
you are always approachable and available,
and so we bring this bread and wine before you.
May this Eucharist and every prayer
be an occasion for us
to deepen our relationship with you,
to understand you better and to love you more,
to understand ourselves better
and to love people more,
through the prayers of Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer
We often forget one form of prayer, perhaps the most important of all: namely, praise and thanks to God. In the Eucharistic Prayer we join Christ himself in praise of our Father.
Invitation to the Lord's Prayer
With our Lord Jesus Christ
let us call God our Father
and ask from him all we need. R/ Our Father...
Deliver Us
Deliver us Lord, from every evil
and grant us peace in our day.
Keep us free from sin
and protect us from fear,
from routine and discouragement
when we pray to you.
Help us to work in joy and hope
for your kingdom
and for the coming among us
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. R/ For the kingdom...
Invitation to Communion
This is the Lord who says to us:
Ask and you will receive;
seek, and you will find;
knock, and the door will be opened to you.
Happy are we to be invited
to the table of the Lord
and to receive him as our bread of life.
R/ Lord, I am not worthy...
Prayer after Communion
Our Father in heaven,
we thank you for giving us your Son
in this Eucharistic celebration.
May we learn from him
not only to pray to you
but also to let our deeds match our words.
May our prayers prompt us
to commit ourselves more deeply
to bring forgiveness, justice, and love to all,
that people may praise your name
now and for ever. R/ Amen.
Blessing
The Lord has spoken to us
his reassuring word:
Ask and you will receive.
The Father will give you what you need.
May Almighty God be always with you
and bless you with all good gifts:
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.
Let us go in all trust
in the peace and joy of the Lord. R/ Thanks be to God.
