From the Word of the Day
“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!’”
(Luke 10, 41-42)
How should we live this Word
In Luke’s Gospel that is presented to us in today’s Liturgy, we find a brief but fundamental term in the beginning, FATHER. Luke tells us, as he often does, that Jesus was praying. Jesus is in continuous union with the Father, but in His humanity He felt the powerful need of intimacy with God and He gave ample time, day and night for this. The disciples were awed and in admiration before Jesus’ prayer. They intuited that it came from His depths and was the mystery behind all His works. They wanted to participate in it too in some way. “Lord, teach us to pray!”
We find in Luke’s Gospel many passages in which Jesus turns directly to God with the simple word, Father. Here are three examples, “Father, I thank You! Father, Your will be done. Father, into Your hands I give up my spirit.”
During His entire earthly life, Jesus’ relationship with His Father was the most precious and vital thing. In saying ‘Father’ He summed up everything in His prayer as Son. Thus, Jesus offers us as well the way to say together with Him, “Father”. This grace should continually fill our heart with joy and awe. The only Son of the Father wants us to be children with Him of this Father so that we also can turn to Him with the same filial cry, “Father!” In his first letter, St. John the Apostle cries out, “What a great gift the Father has given us to be called children of God, and such we really are!” (1 John 3: 1).
Today as I pause for silent contemplation, I will dwell on this awesome reality and revel in the fact that I am God’s child and can call Him, Father!
Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come…give us our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and do not abandon us to temptation.” (Luke 11: 2-4)
The voice of St. Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and Martyr
A living and speaking water in me, tells me interiorly, “Come to the Father.”
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Living Scripture 
Leave a comment