Good News Inspiration for Daily Life
Bulletin Insert for July 24, 2022.
Description: In a reflection on Luke 11:1-13, for the 17th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Jesus is teaching us how to pray with faith. Notice that his parable does not say that we can get everything we ask for. Not everything is good for us; the “bread” that runs as a theme through this scripture is the life of holiness. The “Bread of Life” is Jesus. The gift of the Holy Spirit, the Giver of Life, is a holy life.
Notice also that the visitor in the parable is a friend of God, not a stranger, who wants to share the bread with another friend. This represents a baptized Christian who wants to share the friendship of God (“three loaves” — the Trinity) with others, but he or she is inadequate for the task. When we knock on the door to God’s heart seeking help for our inadequacies, the Father gives us his fully adequate Holy Spirit. And that’s not all we get!
Ideas for use: Bulletin insert for the 17th Sunday of Ordinary Time or handout for prayer groups and ministry training, staff meeting, RCIA, adult faith formation, etc.
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