Seventeenth Sunday of the Year (Year C)

Seventeenth Sunday of the Year July 27. 2025

Genesis 18:20-32; Colossians 2:12-14; Luke 11:1-13

(Image courtesy: Google)

Bill was a notorious and troublesome boy in the class. The Teacher was always finding it hard to control him and it was disturbing the whole class. She was sad. One day as the boy entered the class he found the teacher writing something in short-hand and the boy asked her out of curiosity, what she was writing. She told him quietly that it was a prayer. The boy asked her whether God knows short-hand and she said God knows everything and reads every heart. As she looked at the board the boy took the letter and hid it in his book. After several years when Bill was a successful man when he looked through his past materials found this note and out of curiosity took it to the office to translate. The clerk told him that the note said: Dear God I am finding it difficult to control Bill and he disturbs me. Please touch his heart. He is capable and he can be very good or very evil. Bill had tears in his eyes. He knew the prayers of his teacher were heard.

There is a deep yearning in the human heart to be heard, to be seen, and to be loved. From ancient times, prayer has been the means by which humanity reaches out to the divine—sometimes in desperation, other times in devotion. On this Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, the liturgy draws us into the heart of prayer. More than words and formulas, prayer is revealed to be a relationship—a daring, honest, and trusting dialogue with a God who listens and responds.

The readings of today remind us of the necessity to persevere in our prayer life. Our prayer life is a reflection of our true faith in God. Prayer is understood as a form of communication, a way of talking to God, raising our hearts and minds to God.  In our prayer, we strengthen that recognition of the presence of God, which draws us closer to Him.  

In our first reading of today, Abraham is pleading for divine mercy as he was concerned that God would destroy Sodom where his nephew Lot was staying. God so highly regards the Patriarch that he decides to disclose to him the mission to Sodom and Gomorrah. God tells him of the wickedness of these two towns. His trust in God is not yet so strong that he can imagine God sparing the innocent within the city. Through his discussion with God, he wins a reprieve for the city if just handful innocent righteous souls were found within the city. Abraham is truly a bold intercessor. 

The Heart of the Lord’s Prayer

In the Gospel Jesus teaches His disciples to pray. Luke’s version of the “Our Father” is shorter than Matthew’s, but it contains the same power. It begins with an intimate address: “Father.” This is revolutionary. Jesus invites us into the same relationship He has with the Father—marked by trust, affection, and openness.

The prayer touches on the essential needs of life:

Reverence for God’s name

Desire for God’s kingdom

Dependence on daily sustenance

Forgiveness of sins

Strength in the face of trials

Each petition is deeply human and deeply divine. It shapes our desires and aligns them with God’s will. This prayer, given by Jesus, becomes a blueprint for Christian living. It invites us to surrender pride, to forgive generously, to trust God’s provision, and to live under His reign.

Persistence in Prayer: Not to Change God, but to Change Us

After teaching the prayer, Jesus continues with two short parables emphasizing persistence in prayer. The man who knocks at midnight for bread is not answered because of friendship, but because of his persistence. Then Jesus says, “Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.”

This can be misunderstood. It does not mean God is a vending machine, dispensing whatever we want if we ask long enough. Rather, persistence in prayer transforms us. It keeps our hearts open to grace. The one who keeps knocking is not changing God’s mind, but allowing his own heart to be shaped by God’s timing and wisdom.

Jesus further reassures us by reminding us of the Father’s goodness: “If you, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

The climax of the teaching is this: God gives us not just things, but the very best gift—His Holy Spirit. In the end, the goal of prayer is not just to get something from God, but to receive God Himself.

The Generosity of the Father

The image Jesus gives us is that of a father—generous, kind, and full of love. A child can approach such a father with confidence. Even if the answer is not immediate or in the form we expect, the child knows they are loved.

God does not give stones when we ask for bread. But sometimes, in our limited understanding, we may think He has. When prayers seem unanswered or silence stretches long, we are tempted to doubt. But faith tells us that God always gives what is good—even if it is not what we asked for.

Sometimes the answer to prayer is not in the removal of pain, but in the gift of strength. Sometimes, it is not a change of circumstances, but a transformation of the heart. Always, God’s answer is rooted in love.

The Eucharist – The Perfect Prayer

Every Sunday, we gather for the Eucharist, the highest form of prayer. In the Mass, we pray the Lord’s Prayer. We offer our petitions. We intercede for the world. And in return, we receive the greatest gift—the Body and Blood of Christ.

The Eucharist is the Father’s answer to the world’s deepest needs. It is the Bread we ask for, the forgiveness we need, the strength for our trials. It is Jesus Himself—the one who taught us to pray and who continues to intercede for us before the Father.

Prayer is not about getting what we want; it is about becoming who God wants us to be—sons and daughters who live with trust, humility, and love.

So today, let us echo the request of the disciples: “Lord, teach us to pray.”

Teach us to call You “Father” with childlike trust.

Teach us to be bold like Abraham.

Teach us to be persistent and patient.

Teach us to believe that You will always give what is good—especially Your Holy Spirit.

Teach us, Lord, to live the Lord’s Prayer each day.

Happy Sunday