Weekly thoughts on the Sunday Gospel, readings or a topic...

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seeing your life through the lens of the gospels – Luke 11:1-13
1. In the prayer Jesus gave us as a model, the focus is not on getting God to do what we want, but on trying to be open to what God wants: ‘Your kingdom come.’ That openness implies a trust that what God wants for us is our good. When have you found that it was good for you to take life as it comes, trusting that the Spirit was with you no matter what happened?
2. One of the points in the parable of the friend knocking at the door, is that in the case of true friendship it will not be necessary to browbeat the friend into giving what you seek. Recall times when you had a friend who gave willingly and readily. What was it like to have such a generous and willing response? Perhaps you can also recall when you have been that kind of a friend to others.
3. In the culture of the Middle East, hospitality is a priority. It would be unimaginable not to help a friend. Just so, it is unimaginable that God will ignore our prayer. When you think of the reliability of God, what are the images that you find helpful and that encourage you to persist in prayer?  – John Byrne, OSA

The Deep End
‘Lord teach us to pray.’ If someone asked this today of a faith leader, we might get a long list of possibilities based on different tastes, cultures and trends. Millions of books have been written on prayer, how to pray, what method, where, when, how to sit, what to wear, what attitude one should have, and so on. Yet here, Jesus gives his disciples a very direct response, actual words in a formula, that they should recite. In Jesus’ time, there were many rabbis who would have certain prayers for their followers to say, almost as a way of identifying their group. The Lord’s prayer is the prayer of Jesus’ disciples, so it is our prayer too. It is among the first prayers we learn as children. It is a prayer of identity for Christians. When we are in a moment of crisis, when all other words fail us, it is often the ‘go-to’ prayer.
After teaching the Lord’s prayer, Jesus tells a story about a man whose friend goes to him at midnight looking for bread for another friend. It might appear to be a confusing story, but the emphasis is on the power of praying for another’s need. In the early church and today, this is seen as the work of the people of God, the baptised: to pray for the world and the needs of others. Then we go beyond ourselves and our own interests, reaching out and opening up, rather than being closed in on ourselves.
Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.  – Jane Mellett

(from Intercom)