27TH WEDNESDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Gospel (Luke 11:1-4) - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

“Father hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.” (Lk 11:2)

FIRST READING - Jon 4:1-11

"You are concerned over the gourd plant, and should I not be concerned over the great city of Nineveh?"

A reading from the Book of Jonah

¹ But this greatly displeased Jonah, and he became angry.^{[a] 2} He prayed to the Lord, “O Lord, is this not what I said while I was still in my own country? This is why I fled at first toward Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger, abounding in kindness, repenting of punishment.^{[b] 3} So now, Lord, please take my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.” ⁴ But the Lord asked, “Are you right to be angry?”^[c]

⁵ Jonah then left the city for a place to the east of it, where he built himself a hut and waited^[d] under it in the shade, to see what would happen to the city. ⁶ Then the Lord God provided a gourd plant.^[e] And when it grew up over Jonah’s head, giving shade that relieved him of any discomfort, Jonah was greatly delighted with the plant. ⁷ But the next morning at dawn God provided a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered. ⁸ And when the sun arose, God provided a scorching east wind; and the sun beat upon Jonah’s head till he became faint. Then he wished for death, saying, “It is better for me to die than to live.”

⁹ But God said to Jonah, “Do you have a right to be angry over the gourd plant?” Jonah answered, “I have a right to be angry—angry enough to die.” ¹⁰ Then the Lord said, “You are concerned^[f] over the gourd plant which cost you no effort and which you did not grow; it came up in one night and in one night it perished. ¹¹ And should I not be concerned over the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot know their right hand from their left, not to mention all the animals?”^[g]

GOSPEL OF THE DAY - Lk 11:1-4

"Lord, teach us to pray."

✠From the Gospel according to Luke

^[a]He 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.”^{[b] 2 [c]}He said to them, “When you pray, say:

Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.³ Give us each day our daily bread^[d]4 and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test.”

27TH WEDNESDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Gospel (Luke 11:1-4)

THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

Dear People of God,

The Word of God in today’s Gospel recounts how the disciples came to Jesus, asking Him to teach them how to pray in a way that would please God the Father.

God understands the human heart's longing to be with Him, its desire for an intimate connection with Him. As in today's Gospel, the disciples' hearts yearned to be close to God, so they asked Jesus to teach them how to pray in a way that would please God the Father.

Jesus taught them the Our Father. This is the most beautiful prayer of all prayers. Why is the Our Father the most beautiful prayer?

Because this prayer is central to helping Christians live according to God the Father's call, which is: 'Hallowed be Thy name, Thy Kingdom come.'

He invites everyone: come to God, remain with Him, and live in His Kingdom, which is the glorious Kingdom of Heaven hereafter. To enter the Kingdom of Heaven hereafter, each person must, even in this earthly life, learn to live in intimate union with God the Father: all their thoughts, words, and deeds in life must be directed towards God, and make the Father's holy name hallowed and glorified, meaning God the Father is honored and worshipped; not to make one's own name glorified. Therefore, God calls everyone: live a life of humility, humbling yourselves before God the Father.

Following the prayer, Jesus further instructed His disciples: 'Give us this day our daily bread,' which is sustenance for both soul and body. God invites everyone: live in intimate union with God and follow His teachings, so that God may grant sustenance for both soul and body, and eternal life.

To have God nourish one's soul and body: each person must know how to glorify God, follow His teachings, and ask for His mercy and forgiveness for their sins.

And to receive His forgiveness for sins: each person must know how to listen to and practice God's word, which is: to know how to forgive one's brothers and sisters, and to love one's brothers and sisters as God loves us. This is the invitation God conveyed to His disciples through the Our Father prayer. Live and practice according to the prayer that Jesus taught, so that each person's prayer offered to God the Father may be the most pleasing prayers to Him.

He also wants that when anyone asks God the Father for anything, that person must live out their prayers, in the image of Jesus, who called God 'Father' and obeyed and did everything according to God the Father's teachings.

Now, Jesus also wants His disciples and all His children throughout the world to call God 'Father', to live and obey God the Father, and to do His will as He teaches. This is the prayer offered to God the Father that pleases Him most.

Thanks be to God.

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