Ebanghelyo subong nga Adlaw (Mateo 7:7-12)
Huwebes (Marso 13)
"Pangayo kag pagahatagan kamo, pangita kag makakita kamo, panuktok kag pagaabrihan kamo.
Kay ang nagapangayo pagahatagan, kag ang nagapangita makakita, kag ang nagapanuktok pagaabrihan.
May amay bala nga magahatag sing bato sa iya anak nga nagapangayo sing tinapay?
Ukon magahatag bala sia sing man-og kon ginapangayuan sia sang isda?
Gani kon kamo nga mga malaut makahibalo maghatag sing maayo nga mga butang sa inyo kabataan, daw ano pa gid ang inyo Amay nga yara sa langit. Magahatag sia sing maayo nga mga butang sa mga nagapangayo sa iya!
"Himoa sa iban ang luyag ninyo nga pagahimuon sa inyo. Amo ini ang kahulogan sang Kasugoan ni Moises kag ang pagtudlo sang mga propeta."
Prayers:
"Let me love you, my Lord and my God, and see myself as I really am - a pilgrim in this world, a Christian called to respect and love all whose lives I touch, those in authority over me or those under my authority, my friends and my enemies. Help me to conquer anger with gentleness, greed by generosity, apathy by fervor. Help me to forget myself and reach out towards others." (Prayer attributed to Clement XI of Rome)
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Reflection of the Daily Gospel:
Do you expect God to hear your prayers? Esther's prayer on behalf of her people is a model for us. She prayed for help according to God's promise to be faithful to his people. God wants us to remember his promises and to count on his help when we pray.
Jesus wanted to raise the expectations of his disciples when he taught them how to pray. Jesus' parable of the father feeding his son illustrates the unthinkable! How could a loving father refuse to give his son what is good; or worse, to give him what is harmful? In conclusion Jesus makes a startling claim: How much more will the heavenly Father give to those who ask!
Our heavenly Father graciously gives beyond our expectations. Jesus taught his disciples to pray with confidence because the Heavenly Father in his goodness always answers prayers. That is why we can boldly pray: Give us this day our daily bread.
Those who know and trust in God's love, pray with great boldness. Listen to what John Chrysostom, a 5th century church father, has to say about the power of prayer:
"Prayer is an all-efficient panoply [i.e. 'a full suit of armor' or 'splendid array'], a treasure undiminished, a mine never exhausted, a sky unobstructed by clouds, a haven unruffled by storm. It is the root, the fountain, and the mother of a thousand blessings. It exceeds a monarch's power. ..I speak not of the prayer which is cold and feeble and devoid of zeal. I speak of that which proceeds from a mind outstretched, the child of a contrite spirit, the offspring of a soul converted - this is the prayer which mounts to heaven. ..The power of prayer has subdued the strength of fire, bridled the rage of lions, silenced anarchy, extinguished wars, appeased the elements, expelled demons, burst the chains of death, enlarged the gates of heaven, relieved diseases, averted frauds, rescued cities from destruction, stayed the sun in its course, and arrested the progress of the thunderbolt. In sum prayer has power to destroy whatever is at enmity with the good."
Prayer flows from the love of God; and the personal love we show to our neighbor is fueled by the love that God has poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). Jesus concludes his discourse on prayer with the reminder that we must treat our neighbor in the same way we wish to be treated by God and by others. We must not just avoid doing harm to our neighbor, we must actively seek his or her welfare. In doing so, we fulfill the law and the prophets, namely what God requires of us - loving God with all that we have and are and loving our neighbor as ourselves. The Holy Spirit is every ready to transform our lives in Jesus' way of love. Do you thirst for holiness and for the fire of God's love?
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