Thursday 16 June

Ecclesiasticus 48:1-14; Ps. 97; Matthew 6:7-15

Abba, our Father

In our first reading, the writer of the Book of Ecclesiasticus praises the deeds of the great prophet Elijah who, through great signs and wonders, revealed the presence of God in the midst of Israel. In contrast, in the Gospel reading, Jesus teaches his disciples to pray to God simply and directly, trusting in God’s love for us, his children. In Christ, we are God’s children and, so, we can address God as Abba, Father, as Our Father. By this simple, child-like trust we will know that God is present in our lives.