Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
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July 22, 2022July 24, 2022
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Gn 18:20-32
Col 2:12-14
Lk 11:1-13
GROW AS A DISCIPLE | PRAY, STUDY, ENGAGE, SERVE
GROW: I miss my friend, Carol, a second mother to many of us navigating young adulthood in one of my adopted hometowns. Carol offered wisdom and perspective – and binders full of recipes for any occasion. So, even after moving away, I knew that I could “Dial A Cook” at a moment’s notice and Carol would drop everything and patiently dictate a recipe. Today’s Gospel fills me with gratitude for Carol, who through her love and generosity hints at God’s love and generosity toward us. Carol is with God now, so I still talk to her from time to time. Today’s Gospel reminds us that, likewise, we can bring anything to our loving God in prayer, and the Father will listen and respond. We may think we can power through our days, and our lives, on our own, but Jesus reminds us to persist in prayer: “And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find.”
GO EVANGELIZE | PRAYER, INVITATION, WITNESS, ACCOMPANIMENT
GO: Remember the time before smartphones? When you needed a cup of flour or an egg, that meant knocking on a neighbor’s door. Now we most often text ahead, making the request a bit less awkward. Well, despite the proliferation of Catholic and spiritual apps, praying still requires “putting ourselves out there” before God. While God knows all and sees all, it us up to us to bring our deepest needs and desires to him. Our smartphones can help us here: We can set a reminder to pray each morning and each evening. We can model our persistence in prayer to our children and others by praying with and for them, especially at times when they are struggling with something or facing a difficult choice or situation. If an earthly Mother or Father knows how to give good gifts to their children, after all, “how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?"
PRAY: Recite the Lord’s Prayer, understanding that God knows our needs and will give us each our daily bread.
