The theme of today’s readings is prayer. The first reading Genesis 18:20-32 provides us with an example of intercessory prayer. Our Responsorial Psalm, 138, is an example of a prayer of petition and the Gospel, Luke 11:1-13, is the Lord’s Prayer – the prayer Jesus gave to us himself. Although St. Luke’s version of the Lord’s Prayer is shorter than the more familiar version from St. Matthew
(6:9-15) all the essential ingredients are there.
What strikes me most about this passage from St. Luke’s gospel is the example Jesus set for the disciples (and us) and their desire to learn. They watched Jesus pray and then asked him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.” Jesus then taught them a prayer that is so universal we continue to pray it two thousand years later.
For many of us the Lord’s Prayer is one of the first prayers we learned. My mother taught me the Lord’s Prayer. In fact, my mother taught me most of the prayers I pray regularly today. She prayed and my brothers and sisters and I learned from her example and through her insistence that we pray with her.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches, “The Christian family is the first place of education in prayer. Based on the sacrament of marriage, the family is the ‘domestic church’ where God's children learn to pray ‘as the Church’ and to persevere in prayer. For young children in particular, daily family prayer is the first witness of the Church's living memory as awakened patiently by the Holy Spirit” (section 2685).
If you have young children in your family now is the time to teach them this prayer that Jesus gave to all of us.
Across the centuries, heavenly Father,
on countless lips and in every tongue
the prayer of your Son resounds.
Yet we who know the words so well
need still to learn their power.
Give us your Holy Spirit
so that our prayer may be filled
with childlike trust and unwavering perseverance.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
AMEN.
