Word to the Wise
Wednesday, October 9, 2024 - Wednesday in the 27th Week in Ordinary Time
[Gal 2:1-2, 7-14 and 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." [Luke]
OCTOBER 9 ST. LOUIS BERTRAND op
What follows the disciple's request is St. Luke's version of the "the Lord's Prayer." What? There's more than one version? Yes, there are two versions! In the liturgy we follow pretty much the one from the Gospel According to Matthew. Feel welcome to use the one from St. Luke if you feel it better expresses your relationship with God, but more than likely we have been "conditioned" to say the other one. The American bishops even kept the "art" and "thy" when publishing the texts of the Mass for the USA! The point, as far as the Gospel According to Luke is concerned, is that Jesus is the example par excellence of a person of prayer.
The Gospel According to Luke was written for Christian missionaries who were undergoing persecution. Perseverance in the mission requires prayer and detachment from material possessions that interfere. All kinds of temptations and distractions can make this difficult. We know that Jesus himself was tempted when he made his initial "retreat" before beginning his public mission. But he is portrayed as praying on many occasions, even from the cross!! It is his relationship with his Father and the Spirit that he is maintaining.
St. Thomas Aquinas OP, in one of his scripture commentaries, reminds us that the intention to pray is the most important thing "since it is hardly possible to say a single Our Father without our minds wandering off to other things." I find that very comforting! The Our Father begins with the acknowledgment of our relationship to God and includes our relationship to our neighbor - "forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us." To persevere in discipleship means perseverance in prayer. The Holy Spirit is ever ready to help! AMEN