17th Sunday in Ordinary Time
27th July 2025
Lectionary Readings: Gn 18:20-32; Psalm 137-138:1-3,6-7; Col 2:12-14; Lk 11:1-13
Theme: “Hallowed / Hagiastheto” (Matthew 6:9)
Hallowed (ἁγιάζω) (Hagiastheto) (to make holy) (cf. Matthew 6:9 CSB p 1345-1346) reminds us to “Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” Today, as we reflect on our first reading, we find a powerful moment in Genesis where Abraham steps up to intercede for Sodom. In the Gospel, Jesus shares important insights into prayer with His disciples, especially through the Lord’s Prayer.
We look at Genesis 18:20-32 (ETZ HAYIM p 102-104). Here, we see Abraham boldly talking to the Lord, negotiating Sodom’s fate. What stands out is Abraham’s deep concern for his nephew, Lot, who lives there, rather than just the city itself. Even though he speaks so boldly with God, Abraham still hasn’t fully realized the depth of their relationship; he doesn’t yet see God as his Father.
As the story unfolds, though, we see that Abraham’s descendants, the Israelites, come to be recognized as God’s children. It’s through Jesus who is both the son of David and the son of Abraham (as noted in Ibid. Matthew 1:1) that we truly understand what it means for God to be our Father. As Christians, we’re blessed to call God our Father because, through faith and baptism, we’re united with Jesus and share in His amazing Sonship. This special relationship gives us the confidence to approach God, filled with both awe and respect, and captures the heart of our faith. This word occurs in (Ibid Genesis verses 26, 29, and 32,) when God says that God will not destroy (or, “I will not do it”) for the sake of the forty, the twenty or the ten righteous.
Based on God’s own words, we can say with certainty that God does not operate in a vacuum but out of concern and care for the sake of the righteous. The Almighty and eternal God, who made everything that exists, is infinitely beyond and above us. Before him we are dust and ashes (Ibid. Genesis 18:27). Still, God is not inaccessible, like the friend in the Gospel whose door was bolted and himself tucked up in bed with his children (cf. Lk 11:7 CSB p 1459-1460 and INT p245-246). No: God sees us and hears us, and he wants us to bring him our concerns. The original Hebrew text of our Genesis passage says that God stood in Abraham’s presence. Later Jewish scribes, shocked by such language, inverted the terms, making Abraham stand in God’s presence. But no: God in his mercy comes down to our level, in order to draw us up to his level, to heaven. He has done this supremely in and through Jesus Christ our Lord. On the one hand we know God because we have God’s own revelation. We draw on the witness of scripture. We experience God at work in our own world and in our own lives. We use our reason and ecclesiastical traditions to develop frameworks for understanding who God is and how God can be expected to behave and act. Whenever we think about or talk about God, there is a wonderful tension between certainty and mystery. But on the other hand, at some level, God remains mysterious. This gets expressed in pithy expressions that warn against putting God in a box or forgetting the distinction between the Creator and the creatures. If God is God, and we are humans, how can we ultimately understand God’s nature and God’s ways? Scripture itself confronts us with those messy texts where God acts in ways that cannot be rationally explained away. Moreover, we have those life experiences of God allowing or causing things to happen that defy our understanding of a good or powerful God. Particularly in those cases, the clash between certainty (God is good, God is powerful) and mystery (why do bad things happen?) can be painful. Abraham, however, seems to gracefully balance that tension, and for that reason Abraham in this text is such a wonderful model for us, on how to approach God.
Jesus’ teachings in (Ibid. Luke 11:11-13) inspire us to deepen our prayer life. He illustrates a profound principle: if even imperfect human parents know how to give their children good gifts, how much more will our heavenly Father generously provide for His beloved children who ask? Among the most precious gifts He offers is the Holy Spirit. This passage encourages us to approach God with unwavering persistence and confidence. He is never annoyed by our requests, even if we come to Him in the middle of the night. God welcomes our questions and longs to bless us abundantly when we seek Him. As Jesus’ disciples, our growth in prayer is essential. We are called to mature in our relationship with Christ, moving beyond simple requests to seek a deeper connection with God. This journey involves praying not just for our immediate needs but for matters of eternal significance.
When one of Jesus’ disciples asked, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples,” Jesus graciously provided guidance. He instructed them to say: “Father, hallowed be your name; your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.” In this teaching, we discover that prayer is a unique gift and a powerful privilege. Jesus encourages us to ask, seek, and knock, revealing that our Heavenly Father delights in our communication with Him. The narrative begins with Jesus praying in a specific location, and following His example can enrich our own prayer lives.
This teaching comprises a model prayer, a parable about prayer, and insightful reflections on its importance. The Lord’s Prayer and the accompanying teachings mutually enhance our understanding. Jesus invites us into a deeply personal relationship with God, urging us to address Him as “Abba, Father” a term that conveys trust and intimacy between a loving parent and child.
We are reminded that just as human parents strive to provide for their children, our heavenly Father is even more committed to our care. In (Ibid. Luke 11:11-13), we see that our requests receive a generous response from God. Jesus invites us to pray for God’s name to be hallowed, guiding us to ask Him to act in ways that honor His name. The petitions that follow, highlight what this means: when God’s name is revered and His kingdom is established, everyone experiences daily provision, forgiveness flourishes, and God delivers His faithful followers from trials.
Abraham’s prayer was focused on seeking deliverance from the temporal consequences of God’s just punishment, yet it is essential to recognize that the ultimate evil is eternal separation from God. The Cross of Christ stands as a powerful prayer for our liberation from this fate. Similarly, the holy Mass, extending the prayer of the Cross, provides us with the opportunity to present Christ’s blood to God our Father for our salvation, for the salvation of all humanity, and for our conversion and that of all sinners. Abraham’s approach to prayer reflects a profound commitment to intercede for others. Though it may seem he was negotiating with God, his genuine desire to save others surely delighted Him. Remarkably, despite what appeared to be an unfavorable outcome where his nephew Lot was saved while the city was destroyed, Abraham’s prayer was answered in a way that surpassed his immediate understanding. Through his faithfulness, Abraham became the father of the righteous, giving rise to a people set apart to fulfill His will.
By reflecting on these teachings, we can enrich our prayer life, making it more meaningful and aligned with our relationship with God. This journey opens us to the abundant gifts He desires to share, guiding us toward holiness as we proclaim, “Hallowed be Your name.” Abraham sought deliverance from temporal evil, yet the ultimate evil is eternal separation from God. The Cross of Christ itself serves as a prayer for our deliverance from that evil. While it may seem, Abraham was striving to change God’s will like haggling at a market, his prayer for the salvation of others was undoubtedly pleasing to God. Astonishingly, his request was not fully granted; although Lot was saved, the city was destroyed. Jesus taught, “Ask, and it will be given” (Ibid. Luke 11:9). Here lies an example of how prayer, though it may seem unsuccessful, can be answered abundantly, exceeding the imagination of the one praying. Abraham became the father of all the just, of all who would be saved. From Abraham’s prayer emerged a people called out of the nations to be God’s own, a people consecrated to Him to fulfill His will. By embracing these teachings, we cultivate a richer and more meaningful prayer life that reflects our relationship with God and the abundant gifts He longs to bestow upon us, making us holy as we proclaim “Hallowed / Hagiastheto” be your name.
For Reflection and Discussion:
1. Did you know that the classic Christian prayer has strong ties to Jewish traditions? It’s pretty fascinating, right? Has this discovery changed how you think about the Lord’s Prayer? I’d love to hear which part of the prayer speaks to you the most! For instance, the phrase “Your name is hallowed” is such a beautiful reminder that God’s name is already held in great reverence. What do you think?
Bibliography: ETZ HAYIM, Torah and Commentary: The Rabbinical Assembly, The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, 1999 p 104-109; The Catholic Study Bible 3rd Edition p1459-1460; The New American Bible, Saint Joseph Edition p119; The Catholic Prayer Bible p 1643; Catechism of the Catholic Church; Raymond E. Brown: An Introduction to the New Testament p245-246;Liddell&Scott’s: Greek-English Lexicon
This week’s Sunday Liturgy Commentary was prepared by
Dunhill Malunar Timkang, Jerusalem – Israel, Bat Kol Alumnus: 2023
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