Teach Us to Pray

His disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray in this weekend’s Gospel text (Lk 11:1-13).  So Jesus taught them the Lord’s Prayer. And then He told them some parables, addressing other prayer-related issues. So here are some questions about your prayer life.

How much time do you spend in daily prayer? How much time do you think you should spend? Did you know that Muslims pray for about 10 minutes…5 times each day?

When you pray, how much time do you spend telling God what you want? And, on the other hand, how much time do you listen to what God wants to say to you? (Truthfully, I’m a lot better at telling God what I want, than I am at really listening to Him!)

Here’s a final point. In a book called 'Vesper Time', Frank Cunningham says: “Gratitude is the first movement in the spiritual life.” I think there's something deeply true in that.   

So here's a final question: How much time do you spend thanking God in your daily prayers? (I’m embarrassed to tell you my answer to that question!)   

Blog homework: Set a timer for 10 minutes and spend all ten minutes thinking of things for which you want to say thanks to God.

                                                             Martha and Mary

This weekend we will hear a familiar story. Jesus is invited to Martha and Mary’s house for dinner.  Martha’s nose gets out of joint when Mary isn’t helping her in the kitchen.  Mary, on the other hand, is enjoying herself just listening to Jesus.  

Martha’s about ready to throw in the towel! And Mary has no idea why Martha’s upset. On the other hand, what does Martha expect? That Mary should leave Jesus sit by himself while she helps Martha dice the onions?  

Meanwhile Mary assumed the position of a disciple by sitting at the master’s feet. She was focused on Jesus.  And it’s true that she chose the better portion, since Jesus was the only Rabbi in His time who had women disciples!

Do you have a little bit of Martha in you? Do you get ‘anxious and distressed’ by the chores at hand? (Martha could easily be my patron saint!) Or are you more like Mary?  Focused on people, but not noticing unattended details…like the lamb becoming a burnt offering!

The good news is that there is room for both Marthas and Marys in Jesus’ life.

We don’t hear the end of the story…but being a good Rabbi, Jesus would have concluded the meal with a prayer of thanks for the food…and for the good company too.

                                                         What Is Your Mission? (2)

This weekend’s gospel tells the story of Jesus sending 72 disciples on a mission trip. (Luke 10:1-9) Their work was to care for the sick and announce the coming of God’s Kingdom.  So it was a mission that included both talk and action.   

So I can’t help but think of the 18 youth from St. Patrick, St. Richard and St. Edward parishes who are currently on a mission trip in Knoxville Tennessee. We had a commissioning ceremony for them and their chaperones last Sunday at the 9:00 am mass at St. Patrick’s Parish. They left for Knoxville on Monday. 

   

These young people are an inspiration for an old goat like me!  They have an enthusiasm and a spirit of adventure and probably they’ve got a little anxiety too. But my guess is that they will return with stories to tell and experiences that they will never forget. 

If you were going on a mission trip at this point in your life, where would you like to go and what would you hope to do?  What gift do you have that would help you change the world? If you would ask God what your mission should be, what would He say?