Shalom

16Sep Sun	24th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)
	Ex. 32:7-11, 13- 14 Ps. 51:3-4, 12-13, 17, 19 1 Tim. 1:12-17 Lk. 15:1-32

How To Pray With Shalom

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The common theme running through today's liturgy is the immense forgiving love of God. God is a loving Father. He loves in the most unexpected ways. Our God is not just a God who waits to forgive us but rather He is a God who rushes forward to forgive us. This is the vital message of the 3 parables. The Shepherd does not just wait for the lost sheep to return but rather Himself searches for the lost sheep. The woman does not ask someone else to look for the coin but herself searches for it. The father does not just wait for his son to come and ask his forgiveness but rather rushes forward to greet him and even before the son has uttered a word of sorrow, the father has already received him into the family again. That is the way God loves us. He loves us unconditionally. Let us then be aware of how much God is forgiving us. And having experienced this forgiveness from God, let us in turn strive to extend this same forgiveness to others - to be truly God-like in our behaviour. Yes, the story of God's merciful forgiving love must be our story.

O God, help me to be loving and forgiving to others as You are to me. Amen.

DAILY OFFERING

Eternal Father, I offer You everything I do this day; my thoughts, words, joys and sufferings. Grant that, vivified by the Holy Spirit and united to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, my life this day may be of service to You and to others. I also pray that all those preparing for marriage discover in Sacrament the source of Christ's grace for living a fithful and fruitful love. Amen.

PRAYING WITH THE CHURCH

INTENTION
That the adolescents and young people of the third millennium may discover a profound ideal to devote themselves to.
Elaboration

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P R A Y I N G W I T H T H E C H U R C H

INTENTION :	That the adolescents and young people of the third millennium may discover a profound ideal to devote themselves to.
"Lord Jesus, you have made these young people your friends; keep them for ever close to you! Amen." This closing prayer of John Paul II at the Mass in Korazim in the Holy Land last year indicates the deep concern he has for the youth of the third millennium. At the Mount of Beatitudes, the Holy Father looked down on the assembled youth and said, "How may generations before us have been deeply moved by the Sermon on the Mount! How many young people down the centuries have gathered around Jesus to learn the words of eternal life, as you are gathered here today! It is wonderful that you are here!" The ideal the Holy Father proposes to the youth of today is that they look at Jesus, who embodies the Beatitudes. They will see what it means to be poor in spirit, gentle and merciful, to mourn, to care for what is right, to be pure in heart, to make peace, to be persecuted. He challenges them to go out into the world and preach the message of the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes which speak of truth and goodness, and grace and freedom: of all that is necessary to enter Christ's Kingdom. Now it is their turn to be courageous apostles of that kingdom.
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