Lord, teach us how to pray...

Meditation on Scripture readings of 10/10/12:
Do you pray with joy and confidence?

The Jews were noted for their devotion to prayer. Formal prayer was prescribed for three set times a day. And the rabbis had a prayer for every occasion. It was also a custom for rabbis to teach their disciples a simple prayer they might use on a regular basis. Jesus' disciples ask him for such a prayer.
When Jesus taught his disciples to pray he gave them the disciple's prayer, what we call the Our Father or Lord's Prayer. What does Jesus' prayer tell us about God and about ourselves?
First, it tells us that God is both Father in being the Creator and Author of all that he has made, the first origin of everything and transcendent authority, and he is eternally Father by his relationship to his only Son who, reciprocally is Son only in relation to his Father (Matthew 11:27). All fatherhood and motherhood is derived from him (Ephesians 3:14-15).
In Jesus Christ we are rebornand become the adopted children of God (John 1:12-13; 3:3).
Jesus teaches us to address God as "our Father" and to confidently ask him for the things we need to live as his sons and daughters. We can approach God our Father with confidence and boldness because Jesus Christ has opened the way to heaven for us through his death and resurrection. When we ask God for help, he fortunately does not give us what we deserve.
Instead, He responds with grace and mercy. He is kind and forgiving towards us and He expects us to treat our neighbor the same. We can pray with expectant faith because our heavenly Father truly loves each one of us and and he treats us as his beloved children. He delights to give us what is good.
His love and grace transforms us and makes us like himself.
Through His grace and power we can love and serve one another as Jesus taught with grace, mercy, and loving-kindness. Do you treat others as they deserve, or do you treat them as the Lord Jesus would with grace and mercy?
Jesus' prayer includes an injunction that we must ask God to forgive us in proportion as we forgive those who have wronged us. God's grace frees us from every form of anger, spite, resentment, envy, and hatred. Are you ready to forgive others as Jesus forgives you?

Prayer:

"Father in heaven, You have given me a mind to know You, a will to serve You, and a heart to love You. Give me today the grace and strength to embrace Your holy will and fill my heart with your love that all my intentions and actions may be pleasing to you. Help me to be kind and forgiving towards my neighbour as you have been towards me".


 "THE CHURCH OF THE POOR"

"Be mindful of the poor." Galatians 2:10

When Paul laid out his ministry for the scrutiny of the leaders of the Jerusalem church, the only stipulation they made was that he "should be mindful of the poor" (Gal 2:10). This was the one thing that Paul "was making every effort to do" (Gal 2:10). We also should be making every effort to be mindful of the poor when we buy anything, talk, pray, work, plan church activities, parent our children, watch TV, drive our cars, have parties, go to school, etc. In our financially segregated culture, it is easy to forget about the poor who live in areas we do not have to travel through. Not many people who can afford comfortable housing live in areas where beggars like Lazarus are readily visible (see Lk 16:20ff). God our Father invites us to "bring in the poor" to His heavenly feast (Lk 14:21). However, many are tempted to be more mindful of their possessions and comfort than of sharing God's kingdom with the poor (Lk 14:18-21). To not be mindful of the poor is to forget about Jesus Himself (Mt 25:41-45). Pope John Paul II called every person and group in the Catholic Church "to carry out a sincere review of their lives regarding their solidarity with the poor" (Mission of the Redeemer, 60). "We need to turn to a more austere way of life" (Mission of the Redeemer, 59). "The Church all over the world wishes to be the Church of the poor...she wishes to draw out all the truth contained in the Beatitudes of Christ, and especially in the first one: 'Blessed are the poor in spirit' " (Mission of the Redeemer, 60).

Prayer:
Father, I will not only help the poor but be willing to be poor.

Promise: "Forgive us our sins for we too forgive all who do us wrong; and subject us not to the trial." Luke 11:4

Praise: Irene, a single mother, has faced her many financial and parental issues with an unwavering trust in the providence and mercy of God. Please keep her & all solo parents in your prayer intentions today.