Reflection for the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C 2022

 In the Gospel we are presented with many images of Jesus. He is a teacher  using parables to make a point to the people he is instructing. He is a healer  who brings relief  to those who suffer- both physically and spiritually. He is one who calls people to conversion of both mind and heart , bringing the forgiveness of God to those who need it most. But, perhaps, one of the most powerful images we have of Jesus is that of him in prayer. Jesus, the anointed of God, is seen in prayer many times in the Gospels. Whether it is as described in today’s account, in the desert or before his death on the Cross, Jesus is seen in prayer – in communication – with his Heavenly Father. This pray provided an intimacy between Jesus and his Heavenly Father.

      To pray is to approach God with our requests. Our prayers will be answered as God sees fit. Being a people of prayer means that we have the courage to approach God no matter what the circumstances, but  persistence is the key.

         Before Jesus told his disciples about persistence in prayer he taught them how to pray. Jesus taught them to petition God for what they needed and to seek forgiveness for their sins. However, Jesus puts a  condition on it – they must be willing to forgive others as well. In order for us to imitate the goodness of God, we must be willing to forgive others as God is willing to forgive us.

         As our gifts are prepared and the bread and wine are transformed into the Body and Blood of Jesus, let us pray that we will learned to be persistent  in our prayer. As Christians, we come before the Lord in worship and we praise him for his goodness to us. Let our prayer be one of intimacy with our loving God, who loved us so much that he gave us the precious gift of his Only Son in the  Eucharist.

May God bless you all 

Fr. Dominic 

Your brother in Christ