17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Genesis 18:20-32; Colossians 2:12-14; Luke 11:1-13

“I’m sorry to bother you.”  All of us have heard or used that simple sentence.  It’s both an apology and an appeal.  It’s the speaker’s way of saying, “I really wish that I didn’t have to talk to you, but I really (really) need to talk with you!” 

We can sometimes feel that way when we pray.  We think that our concerns are too minor.  We believe that we’re too unworthy to ask.  We wonder whether God really cares.  We fear that God won’t do what we want.

The good news in our Scripture readings today is that God is never bothered when we call.  There are no “Do Not Disturb” signs posted in heaven!  On the contrary, God is always available.  God wants to help and save us, even if it may be in ways that we don’t expect or desire. 

In our reading from the Gospel of Luke, Jesus reminds us that God is “on call” 24/7.  God knows what we need, and God is ready to give it to us.  All we need to do is ask, seek and knock persistently in faith.  The more we ask, seek and knock, the more we become aware of our need for God and God’s help.  Over time and through experience, we also learn to separate our needs from our wants and to discern our priorities.

When Jesus’ disciples ask him how to pray, he gives them what has come to be known as the Lord’s Prayer or the Our Father.  It’s simple but comprehensive. We address God as Father and we acknowledge that he is wholly other, in heaven and possessing a holy name. We offer God praise. We submit to God’s will. We ask God to fulfill our daily needs each day. We ask God’s mercy and growth in our capacity to forgive. 

In our first reading, God tells Abraham of his plans to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah for their sexual license, lack of hospitality and readiness to abuse their guests. Abraham appeals to God’s great mercy and sense of justice. It is often said that we can’t bargain with God. Yet that is precisely what Abraham does!  In fact, Abraham seems to be a pretty savvy negotiator. He gets God to agree to save two cities for the sake of only ten righteous people…if they can be found. When it comes to mercy and salvation, God doesn’t drive a hard bargain or demand too high a price for us to receive them. But there is a price: the desire, love and humility to receive those gifts and allow them to transform us.

Moreover, God’s grace is powerful. St. Paul tells us in our second reading that by virtue of our baptism we experience both death and resurrection. Whether our parents presented us for baptism as children or we presented ourselves later in life, it was an act of faith in the power of God. Using the legal image of a bond, Paul recalls that in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, that bond was not only paid but “obliterated.” God shows us a mercy beyond our senses of justice, a love beyond our understanding. We can only say thanks and, in our imperfect ways, share that love, grace and mercy with others. +