God of Infinite Love
july 27, 2025 | 17th sunday in ordinary time, Year C
Genesis 18:20-32, Psalm 138:1-2, 2-3, 6-7, 7-8; Colossians 2:12-14 ; Luke 11:1-13
Pope Francis in Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel) says:
“God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy.”
In today’s first reading, God was not tired of granting Abraham’s request, but it was Abraham who got tired of asking for more mercy. Abraham in his intercession for Sodom and Gomorrah asks if God will sweep away the innocent with the guilty supposing God will find fifty, forty five, forty, thirty, twenty and ten innocent people in the city. The response of God was unchangeable:
“For the sake of fifty, of forty five, of the thirty, of the twenty and for the sake of the ten, I will not destroy the city”.
My dear brothers and sisters, God was never tired of granting Abraham requests. But Abraham got tired of asking. I believe if Abraham had asked for three righteous, the city would have been saved. God never tires of granting us his love, we are the ones who get tired loving him or loving one another. God does not time us when we pray; he does not give a time limit, but we are the ones who come to Mass, for example and insist that we must not stay with God beyond the specific period or duration. Yet God's love for us is unlimited. It is what St. Vincent Pallotti calls “Infinite love”. It is through prayer that we remain in communion with God’s infinite love.
Jesus, teach us to pray!
Beloved in Christ, the Gospel of Luke is known as a Gospel of prayer. In today’s passage, Jesus teaches His disciples how to pray and emphasizes persistence in prayer, assuring them that God will answer. He highlights God's readiness to give the Holy Spirit to those who ask. We observe that Jesus teaches us as his followers the pattern of prayer and how to pray. From now on, Jesus’ Father is also our Father. We are his family. We are God’s children. Jesus, through this prayer sets the tone of a relationship of intimacy, trust and confidence. This is unique to us. Jesus wants us to trust God just as little children play around or speak to their daddy just as they are. They don’t care about the place, the mess, they simply have trust in their daddy. All Jesus is asking us is to give God his place and the rest will fall in place.
“Hallowed be thy name, Daddy”
That is why Jesus is inviting us to ask and we shall receive, to seek and we shall find and to knock and it shall be opened to us. God always answers our prayers either by a
“Yes” or a “No” or a “Not Now”.
It is in this dialogue that we find our true relationship with Him. By teaching us how to pray, Jesus gives every Christian a blank check. Each of us has to write the amount they want to withdraw. Like the Psalmist in Psalm 138, we too, thank the Lord for hearing our prayers, giving us strength, protecting and guiding us. We should never forget that God’s kindness lasts forever, and He will complete His work for each and everyone of us.
Fr. Georges Roger BIDZOGO SAC.
Living the Gospel: New Life in Christ
In this Sunday’s second reading from Colossians 2:12, St. Paul writes:
“Brothers and sisters: You were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.”
The second reading this Sunday implies the transformative experience where one is now reconciled with God through faith in Jesus Christ. This means total and radical change of identity and way of living. Do I still live the same life like when I was not yet a baptized Catholic?
Please consider the follower as a result of your new identity:
1) You have a new type of relationship with God.
2) Your life is transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit who is now your Director.
3) Your life has a purpose and a meaning – you have something to offer to the world.
4) You are now a beacon of hope and witness to God’s love and mercy.
5) You are not alone on this journey but united in a loving and strong community of Faith. These are brothers and sisters, who love and pray for you. That is, the Church.
6) You are now invited to live a life of obedience to Christ and service to his Church.
St. Augustine says our new life in Christ, must take into consideration the outward transformation of our actions as well as an inward renewal of the heart and mind.
Fr Georges Roger BIDZOGO SAC