Shalom

7 Oct Sun	27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)
	Hab. 1:2-3, 2:2-4 Ps. 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9 2 Tim. 1:6-8, 13-14 Lk. 17:5-10

How To Pray With Shalom

Home Page of Shalom

Index of This Month

The Apostles asked Christ for an increase of faith presumably that they might work more miracles. The power to work miracles, however, does not depend on our faith or on any of our resources. It is brought about by the action of God. He chooses the instruments through whom He exercises His loving care of healing. The certainty of knowing that an act of healing will take place is a particular gift given freely to some and not to all. It is obvious, then, that there is no equality between our weak faith and God's goodness.

On the other hand, our conviction that God as a loving Father always responds to the needs of our hearts should always be the foundation of our prayers of petition. Are we always assured that He is more ready to give us the better gifts than we are ready to ask for them? How often have we asked for the gift of prayer or inner peace or even the willingness to forgive?

Lord, teach us to know Your will and to have the courage to act accordingly. Grant that we may follow the inspirations of the Holy Spirit and beg for those graces that make us truly Your children.

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 we may recognise and revere the cultural and spiritual riches of the different ethnic groups and religious minorities present in every country.
Elaboration

- END -

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

INTENTION :	That we may recognise and revere the cultural and spiritual riches of the different ethnic groups and religious minorities present in every country.
This month we are invited to give thanks to God for the variety of gifts he has given to humankind. There is hardly a country in the world today which is not marked by the coming together of different cultural traditions. It ought to be recognised that religion has influenced cultures and is the soul of a particular culture. Vatican II also mentions the good that is to be found in the rites and customs of peoples, recognising this as having been sown by God's Word (LG 17). In fact, Christians belong to many different cultures which have been deeply marked by the Christian faith. In order to appreciate these cultural and religious riches we are called to make an effort to understand and appreciate all that is good in another person and in that person's culture. We are invited to look upon our fellow human beings with the eyes of God who created man in his own image and likeness and who saw all that he had made and found it very good. We are therefore encouraged to consider prayerfully how God is at work in all peoples. In this context our prayer will be that the ongoing dialogue between the Gospel message and cultures may produce fruits of true freedom, joy and peace for the whole of humanity.
- END -