27thWeek in Ord. Time, Wednesday – 6th October 2021 — Gospel: Lk 11,1-4
Praying to a Hospitable God
The commendation of Mary’s single-minded attention to Jesus leads naturally into a request by the disciples. Once again they see Jesus in their midst praying and they know that John the Baptist had taught his disciples about prayer. So it is natural that they look to Jesus for guidance in this matter. The first part focuses solely upon God and invites His kingdom on earth. The second part is on what the community needs from God – sustenance, forgiveness, and rescue from tribulation. The community that prays this prayer is very conscious of its privileged closeness to God. It sees itself as a base for the kingdom in the present world. But it prays the prayer in the world, as part of the world, on behalf of the world, to which it testifies the onset of the kingdom. It is praying for food, for reconciliation, for deliverance from evil, not just for itself but for the entire human family. It tries to model and proclaim their dignity and destiny as the children of God. In short, the community is exhorted to pray that the entire human race may enjoy the hospitality it has itself received from God.
