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Spirituality
October 18, 2001 Edition

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Fr. Stillmank -- Word of God, Word of Life
This week's readings
Pope's Prayer Intentions
Third Millennium Prayer

This week's readings
Sunday, Oct. 21
Reading I: Ex 17:8-13
Reading II: 2 Tm 3:14--4:2
Gospel: Lk 18:1-8

Monday, Oct. 22
Reading I: Rom 4, 20-25
Gospel: Lk 12, 13-21

Tuesday, Oct. 23
Reading I: Rom 5, 12. 15. 17-19. 20-21
Gospel: Lk 12, 35-38

Wednesday, Oct. 24
Reading I: Rom 6, 12-18
Gospel: Lk 12, 39-48

Thursday, Oct. 25
Reading I: Rom 6, 19-23
Gospel: Lk 12, 49-53

Friday, Oct. 26
Reading I: Rom 7, 18-25
Gospel: Lk 12, 54-59

Saturday, Oct. 27
Reading I: Rom 8, 1-11
Gospel: Lk 13, 1-9

Pope's Prayer Intentions
October General Intention

Appreciation for the riches every culture and religion contribute to the common good. The wisdom to appreciate the cultural and spiritual riches contributed by the different ethnic groups and religious minorities in every land.

October Mission Intention

A Pentecost-like missionary renewal in this third Christian millennium. Renewal of the missionary fire of the first Pentecost at this dawn of the third Christian millennium.

Ask for what you truly need



(Oct. 21, 2001 -- 29th Sunday in Ordinary time)

photo of Fr. John G. Stillmank
Word of God 
Word of Life 

Fr. John G. Stillmank 

In the recent movie "O Brother Where Art Thou?" three men escape from the chain gang and head back to a backwoods cabin to retrieve a buried treasure one of them had supposedly stolen from a bank. Along the way they encounter trials and tribulations of many sorts.

They arrive at the cabin just in time to be caught by the officers of the law who had been chasing them. Their punishment, though they have been pardoned by the governor (which the lawman in charge claims not to know about), is to be hanged.

Sunday readings
for Oct. 21
Exodus 17:8-13
Psalm 121
2Timothy 3:14-4:2
Luke 18:1-8

The leader of the gang (or at least the most talkative wise guy among them) falls to his knees to pray to the Lord for deliverance, so that he could see his seven young daughters again. With tears in his eyes this man, who had bragged not to be a believer, beseeches God to save him.

Suddenly the whole valley is flooded with water and the men escape. The two others proclaim it a miracle, but the wise guy reminds them that they had already known that the Tennessee Valley Authority had been planning to flood the valley to bring in hydroelectric power. "Not a miracle," he says. Just good timing. But the others continue to believe.

In the Gospel Jesus tells the story of the dishonest judge and the persistent woman. The woman pesters the judge for a just decision, which he finally renders because she wears him down. Jesus' application is this: "will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night?"

Our lives are like the lives of those men escaped from the chain gang. We are sinners, not deserving of God's attention or deliverance. Yet in his own love and mercy God listens to the pleas of those who beseech him persistently. God has promised the gift of the Holy Spirit to those who call upon him, who pray "my help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth."

When we pray, do we ask the Lord for what we truly need, the gift of his lifegiving Spirit? Do we approach him conscious of our sin and our need for forgiveness? Do we believe, as the psalms tell us, that the Lord will guard us from all evil?

Are we like the two men in the movie who believe in what God has done for them? Or are we like the wise guy who knows better, who seeks to explain away the movement of God in our lives?

Do we pray for what we truly need, not forgetting to praise God and glorify his name, give thanks to him for his many blessings, offer him our sorrow for sins, at the same time that we offer him our petitions "day and night"? Do we recognize that our own prayer is a gift and miracle directly from God -- not just good timing on our part?

Teaching his disciples "to pray always without becoming weary," Jesus teaches us the same lesson. It is God who moves us to pray by giving us the gift of faith and the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Through the Church and the celebration of the Eucharist, we offer up our prayers to the God of life and love, who does more than merely listen to us: he gives us the words we need to approach him with faith and love.

Raising our minds and hearts to God, let us lift up our hands in praise and thanksgiving, sorrow and petition. We need not ask "O Lord where art thou?" For he is in our midst when we allow his Spirit to help us pray.


Fr. John G. Stillmank is Moderator of the Curia for the Diocese of Madison and pastor of St. Andrew Parish, Verona, and St. William Parish, Paoli.


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Third Millennium Prayer

1. Loving and gracious God,
in your providence
you have brought us to a new beginning,
a new millennium ripe for new evangelization.

2. We praise and bless you, Father.
In renewed faith, hope, and love
we give ourselves to you
that you form us in the image of Jesus,
your Son and our savior.

3. As followers of Jesus
help us to have the courage
to push out into the deep water
and lower our nets for a catch.
Teach us to listen to your voice,
to trust in your word,
to leave everything and follow
in the footsteps of Jesus.

4. By the power of your Holy Spirit
help us to work for greater solidarity
with all people throughout the world.
Enrich your Church with lasting measures
of justice, leading us to true peace.

5. May Mary, Mother of the Church,
intercede for us in our desire to say
yes to all that you, Father, ask of us.

This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.

William H. Bullock, Bishop of Madison





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