This Week’s Gospel Message for Sunday, July 28th is from Luke 11:1-13.
“And [Jesus] said to [his disciples], ‘Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, “Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing to offer him,”. . .‘I tell you, if he does not get up to give the visitor the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence.’”
“When we are desperate to obtain or achieve something, we persist. Persistence in prayer indicates the importance we place upon what we pray for. In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus prays persistently. . . Jesus’ persistence in prayer, therefore, has led to [The Lord’s Prayer] we persist in saying today.” Source: Pastoral Patterns, Summer 2019
DAILY READINGS FOR THE WEEK
Monday Exod 32:15-24, 30-34; John 11:19-27
Saint Martha (Memorial) – “Martha, the sister of Mary and Lazarus. . .is a model of hospitality as well as of fidelity in her discipleship. When Jesus came to raise Lazarus from the dead, it was Martha who went out to meet him and confess her belief that he was the Christ, the Son of God.” Source: Living With Christ, July 2019
Tuesday Exod 33:7-11; 34:5b-9, 28; Matt 13:36-43
Wednesday Exod 34:29-35; Matt 13:44-46
Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Priest (Memorial) – “Saint Ignatius of Loyola ministered to the poor and sick and had mystical experiences that formed the basis of his book of Spiritual Exercises. He earned a masters degree from the University of Paris. There he gathered other students for service to Jesus. After ordination the group went to Rome, where they became the Society of Jesus, or Jesuits.” Source: Living With Christ, July 2019
Thursday Exod 40:16-21, 34-38; Matt 13:47-53
Saint Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Memorial) – “Saint Alphonsus Liguori was a lawyer and later decided to become a priest and later became a bishop. He founded an order of missionary priests that became the Redemptorists. He was widely sought as a preacher and confessor, and his famous book Moral Theology linked his keen legal mind with his kindness and concern for others.” Source: Living With Christ, July 2019
Friday Lev 23:1, 4-11,15-16, 27, 34b-37; Matt 13:54-58
Saturday Lev 25:1, 8-17; Matt 14:1-12