—–Our Lady of the Rosary – Pray for Us—–
LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY
Introduction
Though he had received his mission from Jesus and worked mainly among pagans, Paul was in union with those who worked among the Jews; they approved of his work, but asked him to help the poor Christians of Jewish origin. Paul tells the Galatians also how he stood up to Peter the time when the latter did not eat from the table of Christians coming from paganism under pressure from Christians from Jewish origin. That’s hypocrisy, said Paul.
The disciples must have admired Jesus when he prayed, for when he had finished, they asked him to teach them to pray. This is indeed what we too should ask him in this Eucharist, that our prayer may be directed and deep like his, giving honour to the Father and bringing to him the stream of the needs and concerns of all. And like him too, in our prayers we try not to bend God’s will to ours, but ours to God’s will and Intercessions.
Opening Prayer
God our Father,
you tell us today how Jesus prayed
and taught his disciples to pray
first and foremost for the glory of your name,
for the coming and growth of your kingdom,
and for heaven and earth to do your will.
We know that this will is a Father’s will
and so we ask of you with trusting faith:
Let your will be ours,
let your glory be ours,
let your kingdom of peace and justice,
of love and forgiveness be ours
and let it grow among us now and for ever. Amen!
1 Reading: Galatians 2:1-2, 7-14
Brothers and sisters: After fourteen years I again went up to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along also. I went up in accord with a revelation, and I presented to them the Gospel that I preach to the Gentiles–but privately to those of repute–so that I might not be running, or have run, in vain. On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the Gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter to the circumcised, for the one who worked in Peter for an apostolate to the circumcised worked also in me for the Gentiles, and when they recognized the grace bestowed upon me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas their right hands in partnership, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. Only, we were to be mindful of the poor, which is the very thing I was eager to do. And when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face because he clearly was wrong. For, until some people came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to draw back and separated himself, because he was afraid of the circumcised. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that they were not on the right road in line with the truth of the Gospel, I said to Cephas in front of all, “If you, though a Jew, are living like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?”
Responsorial Psalm PS 117:1BC, 2
R. Go out to all the world, and tell the Good News.
Praise the LORD, all you nations,
glorify him, all you peoples! R.
For steadfast is his kindness toward us,
and the fidelity of the LORD endures forever. R.
Alleluia Romans 8:15BC
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
You have received a spirit of adoption as sons
through which we cry: Abba! Father!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Luke 11:1-4
Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your Kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test.”
Commentary
Paul makes no apology for his belief that Christians were free from the Jewish law. He himself had excellent Jewish credentials, born and raised a Jew, educated well beyond his peers, an opponent of the Christians even to the point of persecution. But called from birth by God, he realized that God’s Son had been revealed to him and that he was sent to proclaim him to the Gentiles. He went up to Jerusalem and conferred with Peter and James. He was completely confirmed in his mission. The question of the Jewish law for the Gentiles had been resolved.
And yet Peter, when he came to Antioch, ate freely with the Gentile Christians. But when Jewish Christians came from Jerusalem, Peter pulled back and would not eat with the Gentile Christians. For Paul this was pure hypocrisy, and he did not hesitate to confront Peter about it directly. In the midst of conflict, Paul asks Peter, “How can we ask Gentiles to live as Jews?” when discipleship to Christ is not adherent to the Jewish law within that context.
We no longer live under the Jewish law. But does that mean that we are lax and indifferent? The Christian ethos goes far beyond the law in calling us to be perfect as is our heavenly Father. Its demands are great. In the love of God and neighbour, we are called to go beyond the law. We go wherever charity calls us. The fact is that the Jewish law has been supplanted by the law of love taught by Jesus for the kingdom..
Intercessions
– That we may be praying people, so that the source of our strength may never run dry and that we may live and work in the presence of God, we pray:
– That for Christians and for all people prayer may not become a flight from life or from involvement with people in need, we pray:
– That we may learn from Christ to place first things first when we pray, to give priority to things that really matter: the coming of God’s kingdom and the good of the People of God, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
God our Father,
the gifts here in our hands
express the prayers of all those present
and also of those who are not here.
Help us to grow in depth and width
in a life of faith and prayer.
Teach us to pray like your Son,
that you may accept us with him
who is our Lord for ever. Amen!
Prayer after Communion
God our Father,
keep us listening to your word,
as we have done here in the presence of your Son.
Keep us in constant dialogue with you,
that we may also be capable of dialogue
with the world and with our brothers and sisters.
Let prayer be to us a source of commitment
that never dries up.
We ask you this in the name of Jesus the Lord. Amen!
Blessing
It is good to remember that as Christians we have the task to pray for all people. It is our role to be mediators, just as we are also mediators of peace and reconciliation. May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!