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 17^th Sunday, Year C: Homily by Fr Isaac Chima

Prayer: A Dialogue with a Benevolent Father

Readings: Gen 18:20 -32; Col 1:12-14; Lk 11:1-13

Dear friends in Christ, on this seventeenth Sunday of the year, the Church emphasizes the significance of intercessory prayer and the importance of persistence/perseverance in our prayers. As Christians, prayer serves as a means of communication between us and our God. Through prayer, we commune with God, open our hearts to Him, and gain insight into His plan for our lives. It is often said that ‘a prayerless Christian is a powerless Christian.’ Therefore, prayer is an essential weapon in the spiritual and physical battles Christians face in this world.

Today’s gospel opens our minds to an important knowledge about our God. It reveals that our God is benevolent. Frequently, we hear people express sentiments such as 'God did not respond to my prayer,’ 'God has disappointed me,’ 'God is silent,' and so forth. A similar expression of frustration, after seeking God's intervention during perilous and challenging times, was voiced by Job in the Bible. The book of Psalms contains numerous chapters dedicated to such lamentations. Nevertheless, in today's gospel, Jesus reassures us that our God will not fail to provide what is beneficial for us. He stated, “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” I appreciate how the Gospel of Matthew articulates this. It says, “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”

Dear friends, although we are frail human beings often susceptible to wrongful actions and decisions, we do not hesitate to provide good things when our children request them. If we can be this benevolent towards our children, how much more will God, our Father, who embodies all goodness, be willing to grant good things to those He has created, His children who seek His assistance?

Consequently, Jesus encouraged us to ask, and we shall receive; seek, and we shall find; and knock, and the door will be opened to us. However, how should we ask? How should we knock? And how should we seek? In addressing these questions, Jesus recounted the story of the importunate friend who, despite initially receiving a negative response to his request, continued to knock at his friend's door until his request was granted. This illustrates that Jesus is urging us to be persistent in our prayers to God. We should not merely knock at God's door and then vanish when it has not opened. Instead, we ought to knock and patiently wait until we have been heard. And once we have been heard, we must trust that God's response is in our best interest, for God cannot fail to provide what is beneficial for us in accordance with His divine will and plan.

Today’s first reading gives us some important lessons as we approach God's door to knock. First, it reiterates the importance of persistence in prayer. The angels of God were en route to Sodom and Gomorrah to destroy them due to their sins, particularly their sin of sexual perversion. It is regrettable that the sin of sexual perversion, which was one of the major reasons for the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah by God, is now being promoted by many nations as a human right. It is disheartening that the very sin of homosexuality, for which God obliterated Sodom and Gomorrah, is regarded as something good in our generation, with many Christians endorsing such views. May God help us.

When Abraham saw God's wrath towards Sodom and Gomorrah, he knelt down and prayed. In his prayer, he remained persistent until he received a favourable answer for his relatives residing in those cities. We must always pray without losing hope.

Secondly, the prayer of Abraham illustrates that prayer ought to be a dialogue with God, two-way communication rather than a one-sided affair. In a dialogue, no single individual dominates the conversation; instead, all participants have the opportunity to express their thoughts, as demonstrated in the narrative of Abraham. Abraham spoke and also listened to God’s responses. This crucial element of attentively hearing God's responses during prayer is frequently overlooked in the prayer life of many Christians. Thus, the Church today reminds us that prayer must be a dialogue between us and God, a conversation that enables us to hear from God and to understand His will through silent meditation and reflection, particularly on the scriptures.

Another important lesson is that prayer should not solely be for the benefit of the individual praying. Every Christian is called to be an intercessor for the well-being of others. In the first reading, Abraham interceded on behalf of his nephew, Lot, his family, and other righteous individuals in Sodom and Gomorrah, and they were saved. Our prayers can save our loved ones from calamity. Our unwavering intercession can lead to the salvation of souls in our communities. Therefore, let us commit ourselves to being intercessors today. Let us consistently dedicate time to pray for the intentions of others with perseverance and confidence.

Peace be with you. Have a beautiful Sunday.

Rev. Fr. Isaac Chinemerem Chima