Today’s Thoughts: Our readings today provide us with much food for thought. In St. Paul’s Letter to the Galatians we encounter the early struggles of the Church. Paul confronts Peter because he says one thing and does another. the early Church leadership acknowledges Paul’s vocation as Apostle to the Gentiles but when it comes time to be among that community the leadership, especially Peter, fears what other might think.
Sometimes in our lives we come to an understanding of God’s Word, we embrace the challenges of the Gospel but then we give in to others. We fear disapproval of our actions, the living out of our faith. You might say we give into peer pressure often in our life. St. Paul give us an example today of sticking with what we value especially when we have discerned that this is what God really wants of us. Living by faith is not easy and it will often leave us open to criticism and ridicule, but like St. Paul we must trust that God is walking with us on this journey. How do we come to this trust? Our Gospel today reminds us that it is through prayer. Simple prayer not complex prayer. Jesus did not create a profound, theologically complex prayer. His teaching of prayer to his disciples was a simple six-line prayer. Father, hallowed be your name, your Kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test. (Luke 11:2-4) Nothing fancy, complex, or formal just a simple conversation, a simple asking for God’s presence in our life. A praise of God, a desire for God’s Kingdom, a need for God’s daily presence and bread, a forgiveness for our sins, because we are willing to forgive too, and a desire to not face the final test. In a way I like Luke’s version of the Our Father a little better than Matthew’s. It is simpler and more to the point of what I want to say to God each day. Often, we load up our days, our life, with all kinds of prayer yet whether it is Luke’s version or Matthew’s version all Jesus asks is one simple prayer to Our Father! Have a blessed, holy, safe, and healthy Wednesday everyone!
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Fr. Paul R. Fagan, C.P. "Preacher on the Run"Just a few thoughts to help you on your journey through life...let me know from time to time what you think... Archives
April 2024
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