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  Wednes day – 27 th Week in Ordinary Time   Gospel – Luke 11:1-4 Words! Mass at the Tomb, Church of Holy Sepulchre We read in today’s Gospel some familiar(?) words – the Lord’s Prayer! Our Father, who art in heaven………… Need I go on?   We all know the words; we all pray with those words!   We have them memorized in our minds and printed on our hearts.   And yet, the Lord’s Prayer we hear today in Luke’s Gospel is not the same as Matthew’s, the one we are most familiar with. Luke doesn’t use the word “our”.   And in a sense, that makes it more personal for me.   I am addressing God as ‘my’ Father. Granted, the rest of Luke’s version uses the word “we” but it feels like a prayerful personal conversation between myself and God, one on one as it were. What strikes me most are the words ‘everyone in debt to us”.   Too often I think we interpret those words as referring only to people who do actually owe us something.   But I wonder if we a...
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  Tues day – Our Lady of the Rosary Gospel – Luke 10:38-42 The Power of Prayer Church of Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem Today we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.   It was instituted in 1571 By Pope Pius V to celebrate Mary’s intervention in a combined European naval victory over the Turks.   The Pope had asked all of Europe to pray the Rosary to ensure a victory. This Battle of Lepanto saved all of Europe from invasion. The Rosary helps us to meditate on our own salvation and on the mysteries that lead to it. And it reminds us of Mary’s obedient role in that event.   It is also a strong reminder of the power of prayer.   Today, especially at a time when our needs are many and our fears are deep, the Rosary provides us the opportunity to place those cares before Mary and to ask her to intercede for us. I found a quote the other day that serves to remind us all of the power of prayer.   “In prayer we lift ourselves up to God.   In the Sa...
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  Mon day – 27 th   Week in Ordinary Time Gospel – Luke 10:25-37 Won’t You Be My Neighbor? Old City, Jerusalem I know, we have heard this parable hundreds of times. The Good Samaritan, the last person you’d expect to help actually helps.   And we are expected to do the same.   To act out of love and mercy and compassion.   OK, got it, heard it before, I got the message.   Let’s move on. But what if?   Turn things around!   What if you were the victim?   At some point in our lives, many of us have unfortunately been a victim; maybe we were robbed or beat up, cheated, betrayed or abandoned, or worse.   Would it really matter?   Would it make a difference?   Would their gender, religion, age, race, ethnicity or economic status matter?   Would you want to check their wallet for their ID?   Or their credit rating?   Do they have a college degree?   Would you really ever refuse their offer of kindness and ...
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