Thursday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
Trustful Prayer
Liturgical Cycle: A | Lectionary Cycle: II
Introduction
Year II. The reading from Sirach is a hymn of praise in honour of the fiery prophet Elijah.
Gospel. In the words of Jesus, Matthew gives us today a catechesis on prayer. The reason and basis of our prayer should not only be merely that we need something and we should not think that our prayer is more powerful when we use a stream of words. We pray because Jesus asks us to and because we have trust in our Father, who knows what we need even before we ask him. In our prayers, we should also place first things first: God and his kingdom, which is manifested and communicated to us through bread, forgiveness, and protection.
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
You know what we need
even before we can ask you.
We are sure of this
on account of the human experience
of Jesus your Son, who was one of us.
And so we pray you:
Don’t take it amiss
When we use too many words
to cover the emptiness of our hearts,
and teach us through your Spirit in us
to ask for the things that matter,
You and your kingdom,
that will last forever and ever.
First Reading
Then came the prophet Elijah, like a fire, with words that burned like a torch.
He brought famine upon the people, and in his fervent love, he had them reduced in number.
Speaking in the Lord’s name, he closed the heavens and called down fire three times.
How marvelous you were, Elijah, in your wondrous deeds! Who could ever claim to be your equal?
By the word of the Most High, you brought a dead man back to life;
you brought kings to ruin and threw famous men out of their beds.
You heard a rebuke at Sinai and sentences of punishment at Horeb;
you anointed kings to serve as warriors and prophets to follow you.
You were carried away by a storm of flames in a chariot pulled by fiery horses.
It was written that you should be the one to calm God’s anger in the future, before it breaks out in fury, to turn the hearts of fathers to their children and to restore the tribes of Jacob.
Happy are those who see you and those who die in love, for we shall also live.
Such was Elijah, taken up in a whirlwind, and Elisha was filled with his spirit. During his life, no leader could shake him; no one could dominate him.
Nothing was too hard for him, and even in death, his body profesied.
In life, he achieved great things; in death, his deeds were extraordinary.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (12a) Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;
let the many isles be glad.
Clouds and darkness are round about him,
justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
Fire goes before him
and consumes his foes round about.
His lightnings illumine the world;
the earth sees and trembles.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
before the Lord of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his justice,
and all peoples see his glory.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
All who worship graven things are put to shame,
who glory in the things of nought;
all gods are prostrate before him.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
Alleluia Verse
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
You have received a spirit of adoption as sons
through which we cry: Abba! Father!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
When you pray, do not use many words like the pagans do, because they think that the more they speak, the more likely they are to be heard.
Avoid emulating them. Your Father already knows what you need before you ask.
The Lord’s Prayer
This, then, is how you should pray:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom,
come,your will be done
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors.
Do not bring us to the time of trial,but deliver us from the evil one.
If you forgive others for their wrongdoings, your Father in heaven will also forgive you;
but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.
Prayers of the Faithful
– For members of contemplative orders, that they may be very attentive to the needs of the Church and of the world and pray for them, we pray:
– For all of us, that we may seek God’s will in our prayer rather than ours, we pray:
– For all of us again, that the Lord may give us a spirit of prayer and intimacy with God, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Father in heaven,
We are certain that you will always hear us
on account of your Son in our midst.
With him we pray
that we may recognise you
and praise your name,
that your kingdom may grow among us
and that we may do your will loyally
together with Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Before the Our Father
Let us do what Jesus told us to do
and pray to our Father in heaven
in Jesus’ own words:
Our Father…
Prayer after Communion
Father,
Your Son Jesus, alive among us now,
insists that we forgive one another.
Help us to forgive the way you pardon,
completely and without regrets,
because you have forgiven us much
and paid yourself the penalty for our sins
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Blessing
Prayer for us is not a flight from life or from commitment to people but a plea to God to give us the courage to face reality and to care for people. May God give you this insight and strength and bless you, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
REFLECTIONS
Matthew 6:7-15
To Pray Is to Speak with the Heart
In today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches us how to pray—not with many words, not with performance, but from the heart. “Your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Mt 6:8). Prayer, then, is not about impressing God. It’s about sharing life with Him.
- Prayer is a relationship.
God is not a distant master or a divine ATM. He is a companion, a Father who walks with us. So don’t reduce prayer to a list of requests. Speak to God simply. Tell Him how you are, what you’re carrying, what hurts or brings you joy. He listens. He understands. Let yourlife become prayer, and yourprayer become life—an ongoing conversation, like the beating of your heart. - The “Our Father” is everything.
It’s the most complete prayer. When we say “Father,” we remember we are not alone. We are loved. And when we pray“as we forgive those who trespass against us,”we’re reminded that forgiveness is the door to peace. Forgiveness is hard. It requires grace. But it begins in prayer. Choose a phrase from this prayer today—live with it, pray it throughout your day. Let it sink into your soul. - Pray in secret.
Jesus tells us: don’t show off. God isn’t looking for applause—He’s looking for your heart. Find your quiet room, or sit before the Blessed Sacrament. Show yourself to Jesus simply and honestly. That is where real prayer begins.
Prayer transforms everything. It lights up our struggles and fills them with meaning. It brings peace where chaos reigns, and hope where pain prevails.
So today, let us pray… with our hearts. And may the Father who sees in secret reward us with His peace.
Amen.
"I dared to call Him Father"