Legacy of prayer

0:05

Magnificat

Tenebrae, Nigel Short

Today is Wednesday the 7th of October, the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, in the 27th week of Ordinary Time.

Tenebrae, directed by Nigel Short, sing the Magnificat from Rachmaninov’s Vespers, Mary’s song about the God who casts the mighty from their thrones and raises up the lowly, who fills the starving with good things and sends the rich away empty, a God who has no regard for riches, for power and status, but looks to the heart. As you enter into prayer today on this feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, can you put everything else aside for a moment, and humbly offer your heart to the Lord, reflecting on moments of Christ’s life?

5:06

Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Luke.

Luke 11:1-4

[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.’ He said to them, ‘When you pray, say:

Father, hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come.

Give us each day our daily bread.

And forgive us our sins,

for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.

And do not bring us to the time of trial.’

6:27

Held

Lane King (with Christopher Dennis Coleman)

Today is the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary and across the world countless people will pray the words that Jesus taught his disciples. What does it mean to you to be part of this legacy of prayer? Perhaps you are reminded of the person who first taught you to pray...

Here, we hear Luke’s account of how Jesus teaches his own prayer to the disciples. Are the disciples moved by how Jesus prays? Do they see the difference it makes? Is this what they are asking for? Or are they looking for the sense of connection that they see with John and his followers?

What is your connection with prayer? Is it an expectation, a witness, something that happens in community or when you have time? Or something deeper?

This prayer is often learned by rote and spoken by heart, but do we pray with the heart? As you listen to the passage again, look for the phrases that bring comfort - and those that challenge.

10:17

Luke 11:1-4

[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.’ He said to them, ‘When you pray, say:

Father, hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come.

Give us each day our daily bread.

And forgive us our sins,

for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.

And do not bring us to the time of trial.’

11:19

Jesus teaches a prayer that is all about relationship with the Father, reliance on the Father, faith in the Father. For all those needs, tests and challenges that face us today, take this moment of prayer to do as Jesus taught us – to bring your needs before the Father who loves you.

13:35

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be

World without end

Amen