Meister Eckhart asks, “Who is the man whose prayers God always hears?” He answers, “God hears the man who appeals to God as God. When, however, man appeals to God, hoping for some worldly good, he is not appealing to God at all, but to what he is asking of God. He is trying to make God his servant. On this point, St. Augustine says: ‘You pray to what you love, for true whole prayer is nothing but love!’ Thus, we pray to what we love, and no one rightly prays to God but he who prays for God and has nothing on his mind but God.” We struggle with what we want God to do and how we want our prayer validated. Meister Eckhart is correct. We often want God to be our servant. We further struggle with trusting that God knows what we need and that His will is best.
God’s will is not some predetermined outcome of events that we must simply suggest. “Thy will be done” is not an invocation beckoning us to accept a particular state of affairs passively. Rather, it is the humble and confident placement of ourselves in the presence of the God we seek, whom we call “Father.” We must remember that God is the God of life and light. It is from nothing that God brings something and from the darkness that God brings life. Prayer allows us to seek the One we love with the assurance that all will be well regardless of what course the events of our lives take. God is not about passive submission but the humble trust of love.
That’s what makes the Lord’s Prayer the perfect prayer. It provides us with proper disposition and focus, putting in line all of the essential relationships of our lives. It celebrates and fosters the ever-deepening relationship of trust we have with our Creator. It also calls us to keep open the doors of love between our brothers and sisters with the power that comes with forgiveness. If in one’s darkest hour they can find the resolve to fervently pray this perfect prayer of Jesus’ conviction, then there is no doubt that God will hear their plea, reach out in love, and bring them ever closer to His heart. What more does one need to weather the storms of life besides faith, hope, and love? These are God’s most perfect gifts and all we really need. ©LPi
Notes for this Weekend
Welcome
Welcome to our Eucharistic Celebration on this Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.
As God’s children, we are all invited to ask God for whatever we need, from our daily bread to forgiveness for our trespasses. We are reminded of this every time we pray the Lord’s Prayer, but today’s readings speak to this as well. Gathered here today to listen to God’s word and share in the Eucharist, let us be consoled in the knowledge that there is no limit to the generosity of a God who willingly sent the Son to suffer and die for us.
The intentions of this Mass are for all those in our special intention basket and...
Please stand for our procession.
Universal Prayer
A. For the Church during this “Forward in Mission” Jubilee Year, we always pray with fervor to our heavenly Father for the coming of the kingdom, let us pray to the Lord.
B. For the leaders of our nation, that they may work toward the day when no one will be without their daily bread, let us pray to the Lord.
C. For the millions of malnourished people around the world, that a new day will soon dawn when they have plenty to eat and are freed from the anxiety that comes from being unable to feed themselves or their families, let us pray to the Lord.
D. For grandparents and the elderly, that they may be loved and cared for, and that the wealth of their knowledge and experience may be valued by younger generations, let us pray to the Lord.
E. That our faith community may never hesitate to open the door for all who knock, let us pray to the Lord.
F. For all the prayers that we hold in the silence of our hearts; for all our intentions spoken and unspoken, let us pray to the Lord.
Announcements
1. This Wednesday we resume with our Spanish Eucharistic Liturgy course with Fr. Roberto. The class will take place at 7:00 pm in the Guadalupe room. We remind you to bring something to share during the break.
2. We will have our Youth Confirmation registrations from 9 am to 1:30 pm in St. Joseph Hall during the Sundays of July. Adult confirmation forms can be picked up with the Parish secretary.
3. We being our Santo Domingo de Guzman novena this Thursday, July 28, at 7:00 p.m. inside the Church.
