DAILY- HOMILY

JULY 28, 2013
17TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – C

Gen 18:20-32 / Ps 138: 1-2. 2-3. 6-7. 7-8 / Col 2:12-14 / Lk 11:1-13

Genesis 18:20-32
Then Yahweh said, "How great is the cry for justice against Sodom and Gomorrah! And how grievous is their sin! I am going down to see if they have done all that they are charged with in the outcry that has reached me. If it is not so, I will know." The men with him turned away and went towards Sodom, but Yahweh remained standing before Abraham. Abraham went forward and said, "Will you really let the just perish with the wicked? Perhaps there are fifty good people in the town. Are you really going to let them perish? Would you not spare the place for the sake of these fifty righteous people? It would not be at all like you to do such a thing and you can't let the good perish with the wicked, nor treat the good and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the judge of all the earth be just?" Yahweh said, "If I find fifty good people in Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake." Abraham spoke up again, "I know that I am very bold to speak like this to my Lord, I who am only dust and ashes! But perhaps the number of the good is five less than fifty. Will you destroy the town because of five?" Yahweh replied, "I will not destroy the town if I find forty-five good people there." Again Abra ham said to him, "Perhaps there will be only forty." He answered, "For the sake of forty I will not do it." Abraham went on, saying, "May my Lord not be angry, but let me speak. Maybe only thirty good people will be found in the town." Yahweh answered, "I will not destroy it if I find thirty there." Abraham said, "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to my Lord, what if only twenty can be found?" He said, "For the sake of twenty I will not destroy the place." But Abraham insisted, "May my Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found?" And Yahweh answered, "For the sake of ten good people, I will not destroy Sodom."

Colossians 2:12-14
I refer to baptism. On receiving it you were buried with Christ; and you also rose with him for having believed in the power of God who raised him from the dead. You were dead. You were in sin and uncircumcised at the same time. But God gave you life with Christ. He forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of our debts, those regulations which accused us. He did away with all that and nailed it to the cross.

Luke 11:1-13
One day Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples." And Jesus said to them, "When you pray, say this: Father, may your name be held holy, may your kingdom come; give us each day the kind of bread we need, and forgive us our sins, for we also forgive all who do us wrong; and do not bring us to the test." Jesus said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to his house in the middle of the night and says, `Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine who is traveling has just arrived, and I have nothing to offer him.' Maybe your friend will answer from inside, `Don't bother me now; the door is locked, and my children and I are in bed, so I can't get up and give you anything.' But I tell you, even though he will not get up and attend to you because you are a friend, yet he will get up because you are a bother to him, and he will give you all you need. And so I say to you, `Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For the one who asks receives, and the one who searches finds, and to him who knocks the door will be opened. If your child asks for a fish, will you give him a snake instead? And if your child asks for an egg, will you give him a scorpion? If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him."

REFLECTION
We can find the model prayer of Jesus to be a life-changing experience. As we truly pray this prayer with understanding, we will find that it changes our lives. The Lord's Prayer is a flexible model, not a rigid formula. Yet it is appropriate to pray these words because in them we unfold the entire message of the bible and a summary of our relationship to God.

Praying this prayer places some demands on ourselves. It is a risky prayer. We cannot say "our" if we are living only for ourselves. We cannot say "Father" if we don't try to act like His child. We cannot say "in Heaven" if we am not laying up treasure there. We cannot say "holy be your Name" if we are not striving for holiness. We cannot say "Your Kingdom come" if we are not doing our part to hasten that day. We cannot say "Your will be done" if we are disobedient to His word. We cannot say "on earth as it is in Heaven" if we are unwilling to serve Him here and now. We cannot say "give us this day our daily bread" if we are not relying on Him to provide. We cannot say "forgive us our sins" if we harbor a grudge against someone. We cannot say "lead us not into temptation" if we deliberately place ourselves in its path. We cannot say "deliver us from evil" if we haven't put on the whole armor of God. We cannot say "Yours is the Kingdom" if we are not loyal to the King as his faithful subject. We cannot attribute to Him "the power" if we fear what people may do. We cannot ascribe to him "the glory" if we are seeking honor only for ourselves. We cannot say "forever" if our life is bounded completely by the things of time.

Prayer is not a special gift for a select few. True prayer will not be achieved by human effort; it is a gift of God. Prayer is grace. If we are followers of Christ and we want to learn to pray, Jesus stands ready to teach us.

PRAYER REQUESTS
We pray …
… for a deep and profound respect for life, especially for the unborn.
… for the speedy recovery and healing of
- Joy Droke
- Denise, Debbie, Jo, Gene L, Benny, Donnie M, Herb, Mary Ann M & Fr Larry
- Joy Droke
- Chief Samrose Anyaugo
… for the personal intentions of
- Almabelle Abapo
- Jazmine
- Pauline
- Dr Ugo Anyaugo, Oge Anyaugo, Barr (Mrs) adaugo Barbara Okoronkwo, Engr. Ifeanyi Matt Anyaugo, Chuba Anyaugo and Ezinne Cordelia Anyaugo
… for all the prayer intentions in the MTQ Dailyprayer Diary.
- Birthday: Manuel C. Tagaza
- Birthday: Jennifer Gotamco Tan
- Birthday: Geraldine S. Lim
- Birthday: Belen Lim
- In Memoriam (+): Amparo N. Nañagas
… for families who are in need of healing
… for world peace and reconciliation.

Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers and for those who need our prayers the most.

Have a good day!

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