July 24, 2016 — Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Gn 18: 20-23; Ps 138: 1-3. 6-8; Col 2: 12-14; Lk 11: 1-13
St. Paul advised us to pray constantly. In Today’s Gospel, Jesus in effect tells us the same thing. It is difficult for us to underestimate the power of prayer. An active and consistent prayer life is a key factor in being a good steward.
St. Teresa of Avila had this to say about prayer: “The most potent and acceptable prayer is the prayer that leaves the best effects. I do not mean it must immediately fill the soul with desire… The best effects are those which are followed by actions…when the soul not only desires the honor of God, but really strives for it.”
Her point is that prayer requires action. That is the same conclusion we might draw about stewardship as a way of life. Adding the phrase “as a way of life” implies that it is more than an attitude. It is something that should fill every moment of every day for us.
That is what Jesus is trying to communicate to us — that we must be consistent and persevere in prayer. Our lives should reflect our ongoing prayer. You might say how we live our lives is a living prayer. That is what the Lord wants from us. As the Lord advises us, “Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
