St. Michael and St. Mary in Stillwater are beautiful churches. The former parish was established in 1853 and the latter in 1865. St. Mary has an ornate baptismal font decorated with 3D images. St. Michael has a simpler wooden font that was the place where Ignatius O’Shaughnessy and Bing Crosby’s mother, Catherine Harrigan, were baptized along with thousands of others.
Each time I celebrate the sacrament of baptism, I ask the family and friends gathered a simple question: Do you know your baptism date? Some will raise their hands, and I tell them to enjoy a few desserts in celebration of that day. For those who don’t know their date — I tell them to start researching it! We should rejoice in the gift of being God’s adopted children.
St. Ambrose reminds us of this change of reality. He writes, “O man you did not dare to raise your face to Heaven, you lowered your eyes to the earth, and suddenly you have received the grace of Christ; all your sins have been forgiven. From being a wicked servant, you have become a good son. … Then raise your eyes to the Father who has begotten you in Baptism.”
St. Ambrose dramatically reminds us that baptism places us in a permanent relationship with God as his children. We can call to him in prayer with the endearing words “Our Father.”
This Sunday we hear from Luke’s Gospel offering a version of the Lord’s Prayer. Most of us are familiar with the version we use in the liturgy as recorded in Matthew’s Gospel. Luke’s version seems shorter. Why is there a difference in the wording? Jesus taught his disciples about prayer on several occasions. He probably would have taught in Aramaic, yet the early Gospels were written in Greek, requiring some translation from the Aramaic spoken by Jesus. It is possible the version recorded in Luke was more of an abstract on the topic and the one in Matthew the more complete version.
Regardless of the differences, both versions teach us about persistence in prayer and God’s generosity. In the Old Testament, Abraham called out to God as Lord. Because of our baptism, we can call to him as our Father. This new way we can address God gives an entirely different tone as his children. Like Abraham, Jesus encourages us to be persistent in our prayer as we ask, seek and knock. The heavenly Father is always happy to hear from his children. While we may not always get what we want when we want, we can know that God responds with love to every prayer.
Perhaps this is the best way for us to reflect on this Sunday’s Gospel. Take some time to think of those first words we say in the Lord’s Prayer, our Father. What does it mean for us to be a child of God? How does this affect my prayer and how does this affect the way I relate to others? We can be confident as we address a Father who loves us and who cares for us.
Father Creagan is pastor of St. Michael and St. Mary in Stillwater. He also serves as a chaplain for the Minnesota Army National Guard until October when he will leave the Army.
Sunday, July 27
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Supporting God’s gift of life