Lord, on the day I cried for help, you answered me
Mass presided by Msgr. Simas/Sermon : Deacon Dick Bayless

It is said that years of daily conversations with your spouse has made you able to finish each other's sentences. Therefore, to form and sustain the relationships that give life meaning ‘people spend time together’.

A young man who had a desire to play professional basketball. He saw an advertisement for an upcoming contest about writing a paper on ‘what the American flag means to me’. so young Sebastian wrote his paper and ended up winning the contest. The prize in this contest was tickets ,and before and after visits to the locker room for an upcoming Harlem globetrotters game. The star of the globetrotters was (Won) Meadowlark Lemon, you may have heard of him. Before the game he was found not in the locker room, but in a room off to the side reading his Bible. When he went in to be introduced to Meadowlark Lemon, the star, Meadowlark told him that he was busy preparing for the game so he would have no time to talk right now. But after the game, he could come back and they would talk. So young Sebastian decided that there was some compatibility between wanting to be a basketball star, and being a Christian who reads the gospel at important times.

Years of daily prayers will build your relationship with God. This week's readings challenge us to spend time with God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In addition, today's readings provide the insight that our image of God influences how we pray. To build our relationship through prayers is the objective. The catechism of the catholic church defines prayer as: number one: the elevation of mind and heart to God in praise of his glory; number two: a petition made to God for some desired good; number three: in thanksgiving for a good received and for in intercession for others before God. Through prayer the Christian experiences communion with God through Christ in the church.

In the first reading, Abraham bargains with God over the number of good people desired to be believers and hence save all the inhabitants of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. God emerges as a kind and patient negotiator. Abraham's request for mercy upon the people became a revelation of God's mercy. For the sake of the possibility that there were ten righteous men. God walks away from divine wrath, and Abraham returns home to begin his being the father of faith to many nations.

Today in Luke’s gospel, the account presents a picture of Jesus as a man of prayer. prayer inside, prayer outside, public prayer, private prayer alone or with others, in the evening or in the morning. Prayer is integrated into his life's events. Inspired by John the Baptist's example, his disciples asked him to teach them how to pray. Jesus deepens their image of God as generous and forgiving. The gospel stories later on suggest the memory aid of ‘ASK’. ‘ASK’ meaning ask, seek, and knock will help in our conversation with God. In prayer we must remember that God knows his children's needs better than they know themselves.

Beginning with the term Abba or father, a small child's address to their father or daddy, Jesus issues an invitation to approach God with trust and love like a child has for his or her parents. Jesus shows the disciples that prayer is about forming a relationship with God. In prayer, brothers and sisters, God knows his children's needs better than they know themselves. According to one writer, prayer will establish the most intimate of relationships between the believer and God through the spirit - holy spirit of love. May our prayers open us up to God's will. and so build up his strength within us. or as declared in the psalm response today : Lord, on the day I cried for help, you answered me.

主啊，那天我向祢哭求，祢就俯允了我

一對配偶經過長期的共處，結果是只要ㄧ方開口，另一方就可以完成對方想講的那句話。所以如果要培養親密且又有意義的關係，就必須經過長期的相處與交流。

一個渴望打職業籃球的年輕人-塞巴斯蒂安，看到了一則論文比賽的廣告，題目是“美國國旗的義意是什麼”。他就寫了一篇論文參加比賽，結果獲獎。獎品是哈林籃球隊比賽的門票，和在賽前，賽後都可以進入球員更衣室可以與明星球員近距離接觸的後台票。哈林籃球隊的明星球員是草地鷚檸檬 (Meadowlark Lemon)，你也可能聽過他的名字。賽前，塞巴斯蒂安沒有在球員更衣室找到他，卻發現他在旁邊的一個房間裡讀聖經。當他進去並且介紹給Meadowlark Lemon時，Meadowlark說他正忙著準備比賽，沒有時間說話。但他答應在比賽後會回來，那時他們就可以交談了。塞巴斯蒂安就了解一位籃球明星和一名在重要時刻閱讀福音的基督徒是可以共存的。

持續多年的日日祈禱，會鞏固你與天主的關係。今天彌撒的經文要求我們與 天父、子、聖神、共度時光。我們的目標是通過祈禱來建立我們與天主的關係。天主教、教理將祈禱定義為： 第一：將思想和心靈提升到天主枱前，讚美主的榮耀；第二：向天主祈求心中渴望的美善；第三：感謝由主所領受的恩寵，在主前為人代禱。基督徒通過祈禱，經由基督聖體，來體驗與天主的合一。

我們心中天主的形象會影響我們的祈禱方式。在讀經ㄧ中，亞巴郎與天主討價還價，希望藉著少數的好人來拯救索多瑪和哈摩辣城所有的居民。在這裡天主是一個善良和耐心的談判者。亞巴郎代百姓求憐憫，啟示了主的憐憫。天主為了有十個義人的可能性，而取消了祂的義怒。亞巴郎回到家鄉，就成了萬民的信仰之父。

路加福音中，描述了耶穌是一個時常祈禱的人。在室內、室外、公開的、獨自的，與他人一起、或在晚上，早上作個人的祈禱。祈禱融入了祂的生命中。受到施洗若翰榜樣的啟發，耶穌的門徒也請求耶穌教他們如何祈禱。耶穌的教導加深了門徒們對天主慷慨和寬容的形象。後來的路加福音暗示了用“ASK”這三個字母來幫助我們對祈禱的了解。 “A“是詢問（Ask）、”S” 是尋找（Seek）， “K” 是敲門（Knock）。這將有助於我們與天主的對話。在祈禱中，我們必須記住，天主比他們自己更了解祂孩子的需要。

天主經從 Abba 或父親這個詞開始，一個小孩對他們父親的稱呼。耶穌邀請我們帶著信德和愛德來接近天主，就像孩子對父母一樣。耶穌向門徒表明，祈禱就是我們和天主建立了關係。祈禱將通過聖神的愛，在信徒與天主之間建立最親密的關係。願我們的祈禱向天主的旨意敞開，在我們心中建立主的力量。正如今天的聖詠答辭: 主啊，那天我向祢哭求，祢就俯允了我。