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(27th July 2025) Homily for the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Read: (Gen 18:20-32; Col 2: 12-14; Lk 11: 1-13)

Reflect: Prayer that pierces the clouds…

Dear friends, we are on the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The liturgy of the word invites us to focus on prayer and the practice of it in our daily life. The theme ‘Prayer pierces the clouds,’ is the article written by the late Bishop of Pune, Most Rev. Dr. Valerian D’Souza, who was called as a singing bishop. I was fascinated by this expression about prayer while I was reading this article during my theological studies at Pune JD. The Bishop explains very beautifully that just as rain is poured down when the clouds are pierced, so also blessings are poured, when prayers are said or recited to God in faith. This is the power of prayer. Sometimes, with our petty pretty minds, we downplay the importance of prayer in life, but today’s reading give a glimpse of how powerful prayer can be, provided we believe in God’s word and deed. Prayer becomes a blessing to people who believe in God and his acts. Let us then try to delve into prayer, which is a powerhouse of God for blessings. So based on the liturgy of the word, I would like to share with you three points of reflection as how prayer brings down on us God’s blessings;

1. Prayer as God’s compassion:

As we know that prayer as God’s compassion gives importance not only our cry for help in trouble and struggle rather it is an immediate response from God’s tender and merciful love upon us. Such an understanding of prayer helps us to consider that prayer is not only a human act of devotion but as an invitation and initiative from God, born out of his love and compassion. This initiative from God is mainly for a relationship with him. Something similar we find in the first reading from the book of Genesis, through the continuous plea and intercession of Abraham with God.

In the book of Genesis 18: 19 we read the words of Yahweh to Abraham, “For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.” God is just and fair, although God dislikes sin. God is more interested in compassion and righteousness than destruction and devastation. Thus, the passage speaks of God’s justice and mercy. The bold intercession and plea of Abraham before God for others is appreciable. Each time God agrees to Abraham and shows willingness to show mercy and compassion on people, even if there were to be a smaller number of people. 

The passage is the reflection of how God values the just and righteous even if it were to be few. The just and righteous people have the power to safe-guard the entire city. It is because the righteous and just people can influence and have an impact on people powerfully for goodness. The just and righteous people are God-fearing and God-experienced persons, which leads to holiness of life. They impact people by the grace and blessings of God. We all know the life-history of Abraham, how he obtained God’s blessings. His just and righteous nature was part of God’s blessings to the family. God loves the just and righteous persona and he always blesses them in abundance, because God himself is just and righteous. It is the moral character of God which manifests God’s spiritual side of it as compassionate and merciful. Thus, we see the power of prayer that works in the powerful intercession of Abraham.

Further, the episode of Yahweh with Abraham is a model of intercessory prayer. We see Abraham as a mediator, who prays persistently for the good of others. This is the nature of intercessory prayer that we have in the Catholic Church. We seek the intercession of Mother Mary and all the saints, so that we may obtain good things and God’s blessings on us. We see here a neck to neck conversation between God and Abraham. God always relents and Abraham never gives up, because Abraham has experience of God’s blessings; he knows that God is fair and just; all the more God is more loving and compassionate to his people. So when we rely on God’s mercy and compassion, God always grants us what we need. 

Today, we need to be courageous enough to address honestly with God in prayer like Abraham. Perhaps, Abraham was not arguing with God rather he was conversing with God sincerely for the sake of honest and just people, who were under God’s wrath. Abraham takes the concerns of others to God and thus we see that God relents from his anger. Let us realize the power of prayer is powerful and we could never underestimate the power of prayer in life. We could regularize and practice the intercessory in our families, friends, communities, because our prayer of intercession for others can be a source of protection and well-being for others like Abraham. We need to make every effort to be righteous and holy in life, because, our righteousness in the family or society, workplaces may have great impact and that we may be the reason for God to show mercy on others in families or elsewhere.

Let us be very clear that all these were a possibility to Abraham to converse with God, because he believed and trusted in God’s mercy and compassion. God has every power to do what he wishes but he chooses the good of his people, because he has concern for the goodness of his people. So we need to trust in God’s mercy and compassion and be compassionate to others in prayer and practical ways of living. What we could still admire the good qualities of Abraham is that he did not pray for himself or prays for his nephew and his family. If Abraham wanted he could have addressed directly with God for himself and for his family, but we see the good nature of Abraham, which is the reflection of holiness and justice and a blessing of God. Abraham advocates for others than himself and his family. Today, we need to go beyond our selfish prayer to pray for others who are in need, the vulnerable and suffering. Be for sure,, when we pray for others, God always blesses us in abundance.

2. Prayer as Unity with Christ:

There is a famous proverb, which we often hear, “united to Christ we stand, divided to Christ we fall.” Yes, when we are united with Christ we stand tall and straight, strong and firm in life. Unity is born out of prayer. Therefore, unity with Christ resembles the deep spiritual truth that when we pray we are not alone but Christ joins with us, prays with us, prays in us, prays through us and for us. This undivided unity is what we see in the second reading, though the sacrament of baptism, which offers new life and makes us alive in Christ’s death and resurrection.

The second reading from St. Paul’s letter to Colossians speaks of our unity with Christ. The passage helps us underscore the importance of Christian faith in two dimensions; first, to identify oneself with Chris in death, which happens at the time of baptism and secondly our participation in the resurrection of Christ, which gives us new life in Christ. It very clearly states to us through the mouth of St. Paul that through our baptism we have united with Christ in his death and resurrection. Just as Christ was raised from the dead, so also we are raised from death and deadly sins and are given new life in Christ. The new life in Christ became a possibility and reality, because of Christ’s crucifixion and death on the cross. So the second reading is a reminder that we are freed from sin and death by the passion, crucifixion and death of Jesus on the cross.

What we could notice is that the second reading centers on the sacrament of Baptism as a symbol of new life in Christ. One of the biblical scholars by name Melick has very beautifully observed the meaning of baptism in physical and spiritual sense. Thus he says, “The water ritual may lie in the background of thought, but the spiritual meaning is primary. It is nevertheless important to remember that spiritual baptism brings to mind the picture of physical baptism. Spiritually, it is the point of time when a person identifies with the death of Christ and, through faith, anticipates the new life which God will bring to him.” Yes, the ritual cleansing is part of the liturgy but the real cleansing is spiritual that happens, when we are united to Christ fully in mind, body, spirit and soul. So what we need to focus more is not on the ritual aspect of it rather the spiritual aspect of it which brings cleansing, healing and renewal of life in Christ.

We all know that the sacrament of Baptism is the first sacrament to be received in the Catholic Church. Without Baptism, we won’t have any possibility of receiving any other sacraments, because it is a door-way to enter the church and by it we become members of the catholic family.  However, the Catechism of the Catholic Church very powerfully teaches us that baptism is not only symbolic but it is a true participation in the paschal Mystery of Christ Jesus. Through baptism, we die to sin and rise to new life in Christ (CCC – 628, 1265).

Moreover, the two metaphors in the second reading gives us a glimpse of how not to look at the score of wrongs we commit. The first metaphor is ‘uncircumcision of flesh’ and second is ‘cancelling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands.’ These both the metaphors point out that God did not expect any circumcision or uncircumcision; God did not worry about the legal demand of our sins and punishments, but what God saw was our redemption and that was paid in full on the cross by the self-sacrifice of Jesus, offering us forgiveness for our sins and granting a new life in Christ to begin again. Forgiveness was the offer and initiative of God to humanity in Christ for love of us. Let us realize that the rising of new life in Christ was done by the self-sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross was a source of forgiveness of our sins.

Today, we need to remember God with gratitude for this offer of new life through the sacrament of baptism and live thoughtfully daily in our lives.  Let us realize that the sacrament of Baptism is not only a ritual aspect of it rather the spiritual aspect of it, which cleanses and gives us new life in Christ. It is a reminder as well for each one of us not to live in guilt and shame, because God’s offer of love is abundant, through the sacrament of baptism and reconciliation. Let us make use of these sacraments meaningfully for a spiritual cleansing.

3. Prayer that preserves faith and adds flavors:

As we are aware by the recitation and practice of prayer that prayer preserves faith in God and God approves and appreciates our faith in prayer and supplication that we make to him in trust and confidence. More than preserving faith, prayer adds flavors to life by bringing joy and meaning to real life-experiences. It seasons our thoughts, words, deeds, with grace, love and wisdom. Thus, prayer is a powerful medium, by which God communicates and manifests most hidden secrets of living in good relationship with God and with others. Such a meaningful medium is what is given to all of us to reflect through the gospel passage from Luke, the Evangelist.

The Gospel reading of the day is a powerful reminder of how we need to pray, what we need to pray, what prayer can do and how powerful is our God in prayer, when we pray to God in trust and confidence. We have three powerful networking in the act of prayer that is presented to us by Jesus. First of all, Jesus teaches what, how we need to pray; secondly, the power of prayer is shown by the attitude of perseverance. That's why we have the perseverance of prayer is shown by a persistent friend who asks for bread in the middle of the night; thirdly, the Gospel ends with a child approach to a human father, who would give to his children what they need and how they care for them and greater than the human father our heavenly Father cares for and knows what to be given to us good things, to those who trust in him fully.

Yes, prayer is a powerful weapon of God. Much more than the weapon, God is the almighty and powerful, who holds that weapon for love of us for our well-being. It is readily made available to all who ask God in faith and trust. Prayer is a matter of trust and confidence in God. The one who believes in God gets what he or she wants, because prayer has worked out wonders in many of our lives. It can continue to work miracles, if we believe in God’s power and the tool of prayer. That’s why Jesus tells very well, “ask you shall receive, seek you will find, knock the door will be opened.”

The Lord’s prayer has become so significant and integral part of the Catholic Church, because of which the catechism of the Catholic Church very appropriately tells us that “The Lord’s Prayer is truly the summary of the whole Gospel, the most perfect of prayers and it is center of the scriptures,” (CCC - 2774). Yes, it is true, because the prayer ‘Our Father’ contains in itself the act of adoration, trust, submission to God’s will, petitions for daily needs, forgiveness, and spiritual protection from God himself. The purpose of the entire Gospel written is to adore, trust, doing God’s will, praying for daily needs, forgiving others and seeking God’s protection always. Thus, the prayer ‘Our Father’ has a very important role to play in our Christian living.

Additionally, the importance of this prayer ‘Our Father’ is seen as an integral part of the Catholic Church, which we see in all key part of the liturgy or sacraments or sacramentals in the Church. Thus, the prayer ‘Our Father’ has real depth and meaning. It expresses our call to intimacy, unity with God and others. That’s why it is very well said the prayer ‘Our Father’ has two fold dimensions in itself; the first part of the prayer is the true knowledge of God who really He is and the second part of the prayer is our acknowledgment of God’s great work and wonders in our lives.

Today, we need to realize the importance of this prayer in life. It is not by just saying the prayer we are tuned or attuned to it rather by praying thoughtfully and carefully. Sometimes, we speed up prayers to finish it fast and engage in some other activities. But if we realize the meaning and the depth of prayer, we would get completely engrossed in it and we would find real meaning and strength in life. Apart from speeding up prayers, what we need is persistent prayer to stand firm in our faith that we profess and practice. We easily give up on prayers, when we don’t get what we want. But we later only realize that if we really need it, God gives us sooner than we really need. We need to understand that God answers our prayers as fast as we need in the best way possible. We only have to persist in prayer, have patience and hope in God. Let us understand that prayer is basically born out of trust and confidence in God. The trust and confidence in God would come about, when we consider God as our Loving Father and Mother, who could think of us, know us and care for us more than our parents, friends and neighbors.

I feel firmly that faith and prayer is the core element of prayer ‘Our Father.” Faith in prayer and prayer in faith saves, strengthens and nourishes our lives in God. As Pope Leo has beautifully mentioned, recommending two practical and prayerful ingredients for Vatican employees to always use amply in their lives saying, “Faith and prayer are like salt in food: they give it flavor.” Yes, faith and prayer is important and they give flavor to our lives. Let us realize that when we pray in faith and have faith in God through prayer, everything will turn out to be a blessing and all the more, our lives will add a different flavor, by which many will be drawn to Christ by the life that we live and lead.

Respond:

Have we ever experienced in life that prayer as a reflection of God’s compassion and merciful love on us?

Have we realized the importance of prayer as unity with Christ, which enables us to experience new life in Christ?

Do we have faith in God through prayer that preserves our faith daily and adds flavors to life?

Let us believe in the power of prayer that pierces the clouds and look out for blessings in store for us in life from God abundantly. Amen.

God bless us all! Live Jesus!