Second Sunday after Sleebo/ the Feast of Holy Cross

Evening

• St. Matthew 14:34-36, 15:1-11

Morning

• St. Matthew 15:12-20

Before Holy Qurbana

• Genesis 42:9-17
• I Kings 3:5-9
• Wisdom 6:1-9
• Isaiah 48:12-16

Holy Qurbana

• Acts 5:17-32
• I Corinthians 2:14-3:9
• St. Matthew 16:5-12

by Gary Zimak

Have you ever felt that God wasn't answering your prayers? Perhaps you have been praying for the conversion of a loved one, the physical healing of a close friend, a new job, a broken relationship, etc. Despite many prayers, the outcome wasn't what you expected. In some cases, you may have just given up and stopped praying. You may question the validity of Jesus' words, "Ask and you shall receive". Does prayer really make a difference or is it just something that makes us feel good? Let's take a look at prayer and why it is important that we not only pray, but "pray without ceasing" (1 Thes 5:17).

According to St. John Damascene, a 6th century bishop, "Prayer is the raising of one's mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God." St. Thérèse of Lisieux stated, "For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy." The Catholic Church describes Christian prayer as, "a covenant relationship between God and man in Christ." While we are most familiar with prayer of petition, the above statements make it obvious that there is more to prayer than merely asking God for something.

To put it in simple terms, prayer is a means of communicating and sharing with God. There are several different forms of prayer, including Blessing, Adoration, Petition, Intercession, Thanksgiving and Praise. While each of these methods of prayer uses a different approach, they all involve an encounter between God and man. Understanding that encounter will help us to better comprehend the meaning of prayer in our lives. Utilizing several of these methods will allow us to grow closer to the Lord, which is the ultimate objective of prayer. As we turn to the Lord in prayer, we'll begin to increase our desire for the things of Heaven and focus more on letting God's will guide our lives.

We must make time for prayer - even if it means giving up 15-30 minutes of your leisure time - some quiet time with the Lord is a necessity! Prayer doesn't have to be formal and it doesn't have to take place inside of a church. We can talk to Jesus like we would speak to any of our friends. He wants to know all of our worries and concerns. Conversing with the Lord should be the main foundation of our prayer life.

We can then build on that foundation by expanding our definition of prayer. Origen, one of the early Church fathers observed, "He 'prays without ceasing' who unites prayer to works and good works to prayer. Only in this way can we consider as realizable the principle of praying without ceasing." In other words, we can turn all of our work into prayer simply by offering it to the Father. The traditional Morning Offering provides an excellent means of offering our work to the Lord and can be said in less than a minute! By employing this technique, we are even able to pray while we work. While this form of prayer should never replace our quiet time with God, it provides us with a means to "pray constantly" throughout the day.

According to the Catholic Catechism , "The habitual difficulty in prayer is distraction". This is a problem common to all forms of prayer. Whether you're in a church, praying the rosary in your car or praying before the Blessed Sacrament, you will encounter distractions at some point. These distractions provide us, according to the Catechism, with an idea of "what we are attached to" and give us an opportunity to choose the Lord over the distraction. When these thoughts occur, we should simply turn our minds to God and continue praying. Another common difficulty that we may encounter is dryness, which is a lack of feeling when we pray. This is something that many of the saints struggled with and is best overcome by perseverance. We need to rely on our faith during these times and struggle to continue praying, no matter how we feel. Bouts of dryness provide us with an opportunity to love God for who He is, not for the good feeling that we may experience during prayer.

As mentioned earlier, one of the most common complaints when we pray is that God doesn't answer our prayers. This complaint usually occurs with prayers of petition and provides an honest look into the reality of our human nature. The Catechism puts things into perspective with the following comments:

In the first place, we ought to be astonished by this fact: when we praise God or give him thanks for his benefits in general, we are not particularly concerned whether or not our prayer is acceptable to him. On the other hand, we demand to see the results of our petitions. What is the image of God that motivates our prayer: an instrument to be used? or the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ?

When we pray, are we truly lifting our hearts to Almighty God or are we looking to "get what we want"? If we really trust in His will, we should be satisfied with whatever answer we receive. Our frustration arises when we think that we know better than God. We decide how our prayers should be answered and are not pleased when the Lord's answer may differ from ours. While Jesus does promise that we will receive an answer when we ask (Mt 7:8), He doesn't promise that we will get what we ask for…Instead, He promises that we will get what we need. Jesus assures us of this when He states, "Which one of you would hand his son a stone when he asks for a loaf of bread, or a snake when he asks for a fish? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask Him." (Mt 7:9-11) Still not convinced? Scripture gives us a very clear explanation for why we may not get what we request, "You ask but do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions." (James 4:3) We could save ourselves a lot of aggravation by accepting this advice and seeking to discern God's will for our lives. In doing so, we would get a clearer idea of those "things" that God wants us to have.

Knowing God's will for our lives can sometimes be difficult, but a few basic principles can be very helpful. For one thing, it would be wrong to pray for something that goes against a teaching of the Church. For example, praying for the success of in-vitro fertilization or an invalid marriage would not be examples of praying with God's will in mind. God never wills anything that is prohibited by His Church. While He does respect our free will and permits us to do things that are not in line with the commandments, praying for sinful things is not an example of praying with God's will in mind.

Second, we should append all of our prayer requests with, "if it is your will." If we truly mean what we say, we'll have no problem accepting whatever God sends…even if it wasn't what we asked for. The ultimate example of praying in this manner was given by Our Lord as he suffered in the garden prior to His arrest and crucifixion. His prayer shows us the art of praying in union with the will of the Father. "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will." (Mt 26:39)

While we do not know exactly why prayer is effective, we do know that it is important. Jesus instructed us to pray and prayed Himself on many occasions. The reason that it works is known only to God and is beyond our understanding. Our main concern should be that we continue to pray as often as possible. Most importantly, the next time that you are tempted to say that God doesn't answer your prayers, remember that He can answer in a few different ways - "Yes", "No" or "Not yet" are all valid answers! Therefore, when we complain that God doesn't answer our prayers, don't we really mean, "God doesn't answer my prayers…the way that I want"?

Prayer:

Lord, help me to trust in your perfect will for my life. May I always be content with your answers to my prayers, even if I don't understand them. Amen.

About the Author:

by Alan Carr

Scripture: Luke 1:5-17

Introduction:

· Most prayers remain unanswered because they remain unasked. The prayer and the burden are in our head, but they is never offered to the Lord in prayer.

· Often, we are guilty of prayerlessness. Prayerlessness is a sin – 2 Sam. 12:23!

· We are commanded to pray – 1 Thes. 5:17; Luke 18:1; Mark 14:38.

· There is no substitute for prayer – Not eloquence, effort, energy, enthusiasm or intellect.

· When we pray, we are confessing our inability and reaching up to claim His ability. We are inviting God into the processes and problems of our lives. We are reaching out to lay hold on a power that we do not possess. (Ill. The message of Zech. 4:6.)

· Prayerlessness is one reason prayer is not answered. God cannot and will not answer a prayer that is not prayed!

· This passage that relates the story of Zacharias and Elisabeth, and the birth of John the Baptist, reveals a few more reasons why prayer goes unanswered. I would like to preach for a while on The Problem Of Unanswered Prayer.

I. Luke 1: 6 SOMETIMES THE ANSWER IS DENIED

· There are times when God will say "No" to the prayers we pray.

· According to this verse, Zacharias and Elisabeth were on praying ground. That is not why their prayers went unanswered. Unfortunately, it is often the reason our prayers go unanswered.

· James 4:1-4 addressed a few of the problems that result in unanswered prayer.

v. 1-2a – James is straight to the point – People fight on the outside because they are at war on the inside!

v. 2b – Prayerlessness – We have already touched on this

v. 3 – Selfishness – Prayer does not exist so that we can have our wants gratified. We can expect the Lord to meet our needs, but not to finance our greeds.

v. 4 – Sin – God will not finance our spiritual adultery. He will not bless our efforts to run with the devil. (Ill. Wife asking husband for money!)

· 1 John 5:14-15 address another reason why our prayers are not answered. Prayer is not about getting our will done in Heaven, but about Him getting His will done on earth! (Sometimes God says "No!")

II. Luke 1: 13 SOMETIMES THE ANSWER IS DELAYED

· There are times when God says "wait" when we pray.

· The little verb phrase "is heard" can be literally translated "was heard and is still being heard".

· Zacharias and Elisabeth had been praying and praying and praying for years. When they were young they prayed for a son. As they grew older they continued to pray for a child. When the angel appeared and confirmed the answer, Zacharias had even ceased to believe that his prayer could or would be answered, v. 18.

· This passage confirms the truth that his prayer had been heard and answered in the past. God had merely waited to the perfect moment to display His answer.

· Sometimes we think our prayers have gone unanswered. In reality, they have been heard and they have already been answered. It just isn’t God’s time to reveal the answer.

· This truth is illustrated in the life of Daniel - Daniel 10:10-14

· We are taught in the Bible to make our prayers in faith, trusting God to answer in His time – Mark 11:24.

· When God delays the answer to our prayers, He is merely waiting to a time when He can get the most glory – Ill. Isa. 30:18.

· Why does God wait?

1. To Display His Glory – Luke 1: 18 – According to Zacharias, if the Lord does it now, it will be a miracle. In other words, God will get more glory by doing it now. (Ill. Abraham and Sarah; Lazarus) God does what He does when He does it so that He might receive all the glory – John 14:13.

2. To Dispense His Grace – (Ill. Isa. 30:18) In answering the prayer of Zacharias and Elisabeth when He did and in the manner that He did God was dispensing great grace. They didn’t understand what the Lord was up to, but God did!

God used His delayed answer to bring glory to Himself; grace to Zacharias and Elisabeth; and to accomplish His eternal plan.

III. Luke 1: 15-17 SOMETIMES THE ANSWER IS DIFFERENT

· Sometimes God says "watch". Sometimes He will take our prayers and make them better!

· They wanted a son in their youth; God gave them a son in their old age. They would have been thankful then, but God gave them something far better, (V. 17; Matt. 11:11).

· Here is God’s promise to His people – Psa. 34:10; 84:11

· If He withholds something from us or changes it to something different, it is because what we asked for wasn’t good for us.

· An electrical transformer takes the energy in the lines and transforms into power that can be used in our home. What would happen if the transformers weren’t there? The Holy Spirit is God’s transformer. He takes our prayers and transforms them into what they ought to be, Rom. 8:26-27.

· God always gives us His best when we leave the choices to Him!

Conclusion:

Keep praying dear saint of god! When prayer seems unanswered be sure that your heart is right with God, Psa. 66:18; and be sure that you are asking according to His will. If so, then keep praying.

Eg., The widow in Luke 18:1-8; Luke 11:5-13.

Is there ever a time to stop praying? Yes! You can stop when:

1. When the answer is in your hand – Praise Him and report it!

2. When the answer is in your heart – Praise Him and wait for it!

3. When God reveals a better way – Eg., Paul – 2 Cor. 12:7-11 – Praise Him and accept it!

Until the answer comes, keep praying! God will come through in His time!

by Greg Laurie

I am so glad that God will overrule my prayers at times, because I have prayed for things fervently, believing they were the will of God, and they were flat-out wrong. I am so thankful that God said no to those prayers.

In the Garden of Gethsemane, as the cross was getting closer, Jesus prayed to the Father. "And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, 'Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done'" (Luke 22:41–42).

Yet I have actually heard some people say, "Never pray, 'Not my will, but Yours be done.' That is a lack of faith." Some have even said, "What you should really pray is, 'Not Your will, but mine be done.'" Let's just say that I don't want to be standing too close to those people when lightning strikes, because they have things turned around.

Never be afraid to pray, "Not my will, but Yours be done." By saying that, you are simply saying, "Lord, I don't know all the facts. I don't know everything there is to know. My knowledge is limited. My experience is limited. So if what I am praying is outside of Your will for any reason, please graciously overrule it." You won't always understand how you should pray. What it comes down to is telling God that you want His will more than your own.

I know this is hard at times. Sometimes you don't understand why God doesn't give you what you ask for. When you're young and single, you may see a handsome guy or beautiful girl and just know that person is the one for you. But as the lyrics to a country song say, "Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers."

As time passes, you will look back with 20/20 hindsight, and you will say, "Thank God He did not answer my prayers," or "Thank God He answered my prayers," whichever the case may be.

Finally, remember the words of Jesus: "Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern" (Matthew 6:32–33 NLT).

by Lisa Mandel

Ingredients:

1 (8 oz.) slab bacon, rind discarded, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
3 bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces (1 yellow, 1 red, 1 green)
1 medium onion, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 c. long grain rice
3 cans black beans
2 c. beef broth (can substitute chicken or vegetable broth)
11/2 c. pimiento-stuffed Spanish Manzanilla olives
3 ripe medium tomatoes or 4 plum tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 c. drained capers
1 Tbsp. dried basil
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
11/2 tsp. ground allspice (or cumin)
1/4 tsp. hot sauce (such as Tabasco or RedHot)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 c. thinly sliced scallions
1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 c. orange juice

Directions:

Saute the bacon in a large pot over low heat until cooked through, about 8 minutes.
Add the bell peppers, onion, and garlic.
Cook over low heat for 5 minutes to wilt the vegetables.

Add the rice and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
Add the remaining ingredients except the scallions and cilantro.
Stir; cover and cook over medium-low heat until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
Add the scallions and cilantro and gently combine.

Serve hot. You may store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

1/4 c. olive oil
1 c. finely chopped onion
1/2 c. finely chopped celery
1 lb. spinach, cut in 1 inch lengths
1/2 c. rice
1/4 c. finely chopped parsley
1/2 c. tomato sauce
1 c. water
Salt and pepper

Directions:

In a deep saucepan, saute onion and celery in oil.
Add rice and saute a few minutes.
Add tomato sauce, water, salt, and pepper; simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add spinach and parsley.
Cover and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until rice is cooked.

by Dr. Jack Graham

We love because he first loved us. - 1 John 4:19

It amazes me how little so many today really understand what love is. They equate love with infatuation. And nowhere has this taken hold more firmly than in the minds of our young people. I was reading some definitions of love that teenagers had given recently. One said, "Love is an inward inexpressibility of an outward all-overishness." Another remarked, "Love is a feeling you feel when you feel you're going to feel a feeling you never felt before."

Now we may chuckle a little when we read those words, but we have to remember it's not their fault they see love in such a shallow light. Our culture constantly feeds this misconception in our movies, music, and other media. These young people are simply regurgitating what they've been told!

But the truth is, love is not just a feeling... it's a commitment. And while our world says, "I love you because of what you do for me," real, biblical love says, "I love you because God first loved me."

Real love loves after the infatuation is over. It loves when you've been staring at the same person over corn flakes for thirty years. So don't let our culture tell you what love is. Love because of the love of Christ that's in you!

DON'T JUST LOVE BECAUSE OF HOW PEOPLE MAKE YOU FEEL. LOVE BECAUSE OF THE LOVE OF CHRIST IN YOU.

Source: Powerpoint Devotional

"My dad is the best dad ever. I would kiss a pig for him."
1st grader

"My dad is a Frito-Lay man. That is an important job because Frito-Lay means chips, which is food. That is so important because you could not live without food."
1st grader

"The dad in my life isn't really my dad. He's my Grandpa. But he's been like a dad to me since before I was born. . . .I hope that as I get older Grandpa will teach me all the stuff he knows about wood, and first-aid, and everything else he knows about. My Grandpa isn't my Father, but I wouldn't trade him for all the dads in the world."
3rd grader

"Sometimes as a joke I'll put my stinky socks in his briefcase, so at work the next day he will think of me! He's always at the concerts and plays that I'm in, even though he lives about an hour away."
4th grader

"…You know what else my dad does? He braids my hair. I'm the only girl I know whose dad braids her hair. I think that's a perfect dad. He already is the world's greatest dad to me. I just wanted everyone to know that."
5th grader