FIRST READING Luke 11:1-13
11 Jesus was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of
his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his
disciples.” 2 So he said to them, “When you pray, say:
Father, may your name be revered as holy.
May your kingdom come.
3
Give us each day our daily bread.
4
And forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.
4
And do not bring us to the time of trial.” 5 And he said to them,
“Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say
to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, 6
for a friend of mine has
arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.’ 7 And he answers from
within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my
children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ 8
I
tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything out of
friendship, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him
whatever he needs.9 “So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given to you;
search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for
you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches
finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 Is there
anyone among you who, if your child asked for a fish, would give a
snake instead of a fish? 12 Or if the child asked for an egg, would give a
scorpion? 13 If you, then, 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!”
Reader: Word of God. Word of Life.
All: Thanks be to God.
SECOND READING Luke 18:1-8
18 Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and
not to lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who
neither feared God nor had respect for people. 3
In that city there was a
widow who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Grant me justice against my
accuser.’ 4 For a while he refused, but later he said to himself, ‘Though I
have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, 5 yet because this widow
keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me
out by continually coming.’ ” 6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the
unjust judge says. 7 And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones
who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? 8
I
tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of
Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
Reader: Word of God. Word of Life.
All: Thanks be to God.