17th Sunday of Ordinary Time
Genesis 18:20–32
Ps. 138:1–2, 2–3, 6–7, 7–8
Colossians 2:12–14
Luke 11:1–13
Prayer is intimacy with God. Its essence is the relationship between the one who prays and God Who hears the prayer. I look to God; He reveals Himself to me. That revelation that allows me to experience, to see, to know, to understand in a way beyond words that God loves me and that He has a plan for my life. Within that cry of the heart and God hearing that cry, there is a providing love that sustains me, opening me to whatever I may experience. Intimacy with God frees me to be my true self, touching the world with what God gives to me.
Abraham grew in his relationship with God, daring to pray boldly, throughout his life. God called him, made promises to him and walked with him through his life’s journey. In the Genesis reading today, we meet Abraham at a moment of boldness, learning and exercising the power of intercessory prayer.
Abraham’s concern is for Lot and his family, who live in a territory destined for destruction due to sin. He approaches the God Who has revealed Himself as his friend to invite mercy. He does not want to tell the Almighty how to conduct His business, but he seeks to understand. Abraham moves step by step to discern how close he can come to God’s Heart. “Will you sweep away the innocent with the guilty?”
As Abraham “counts down” the number of righteous ones, he does not realize that at the moment there are only really two – himself and his nephew. Stopping at 10, he does not reach the threshold of a number that would save the world. We know, living in the “wake” of Abraham’s journey, the whole history of the people of God, and the life, death and Resurrection of the One who alone is righteous and worthy to win our salvation, that God does save the world through Christ. Jesus also told us that two or three united in prayer have great power in relationship to God.
Paul reminds us that “through faith in the power of God,” salvation in Christ is ours. “… He brought you to life along with him, having forgiven us all our transgressions; obliterating the bond against us, with its legal claims, which was opposed to us, he also removed it from our midst, nailing it to the cross.” All prayer finds its source in the prayer of Jesus, which was accomplished fully on the Cross.
The Gospel shows Jesus Himself at prayer and His disciples ask to be taught how to enter into that prayer: “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.” Jesus responds with the “Our Father,” which is familiar to all those who follow Him, and an encouragement to persevere in prayer.
Jesus’ one and only prayer is “Abba, Father.” What He shares with those who ask to be taught to pray is not merely a set of words that form a particular prayer, though we may often use it as such. Rather, Jesus gives them His freedom to address God in the most intimate terms. He is in the latter days of His time with the disciples who are to become the Church after His passion, death and Resurrection. His own prayer is becoming more poignant and intense, seeking the strength to endure what is in prospect. Sharing what we call “the Lord’s Prayer” with them is another step in giving the disciples access to the fullness of His person.
Paul speaks of this relationship to the Colossians: “You were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.” Prayer is the flowing grace of the unique relationship each of us have with God in Christ. Our human nature is in relationship to the God of all creation. Our baptism plunges that unique relationship into the very person of Jesus Christ, the Eternal Son of the Father, who has united us to His prayer.
Intercession for others invites us to live our relationship with God in Christ. Let us pray boldly for the salvation of the world!