11 Oct
Thu 		27th Week in Ordinary Time
Mal. 3:13-20a
Ps. 1:1-6
Lk. 11:5-13
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"The Lord took note and heard: a book of remembrance was written in his presence recording those who fear him and take refuge in his nature." (Mal. 3:16).

This comforting assurance of God's attentiveness to our prayers resonates with what the parable affirms in today's Gospel reading. The Lukan parable tells the disciples that they should approach God in prayer with persistence and they must pray with the certitude that God will listen to their prayers. Similarly, they are also reminded that God will surely give good gifts to His children when they ask Him.

As in the parable, even if friendship and neighbourliness do not motivate a person to offer help in service, persistence in one's plea will make him finally respond to the request. This parable hence encourages us to pray earnestly, even if we do not seem to receive an immediate response.

Reflecting on our relationship with God, another important element we need to consider is the idea that God's special possessions are those who fear and revere Him. This refers to the deep reverence and pure love of God that our Creator expects of us.

The result of such a relationship is further reflected in the image of the furnace in which only those wicked ones will be subject to the burning, while those who fear the Lord will experience the healing warmth of the love of God.


Lord, grant us the desire to revere You as our only and true God.

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

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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 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.



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