June 19, Thursday Weekday

Rejoice in the Lord, you just!-- Psalm 97:12

Mass readings: Sirach 48:1-14 / Matthew 6:7-15

Don't Babble

In today's Gospel, Jesus instructs His disciples, ''In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words.'' Some pagans, in magical incantations, chanted a lengthy list of divine names, lest the name of the appropriate deity be inadvertently omitted. Also, pagan gods were thought to be malevolent or at best indifferent to the plight of humans, so there was the need to go on at length to impress them.

Jesus tells us not to be like them because ''Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.'' Prayer is not a demand for God's attention so we can tell Him needs He may have overlooked. As the Lord's Prayer demonstrates, it's the relationship of trust we should have with the Father.

Prayer: Father, You know our needs. Give us today all we have to have to follow Jesus.