Texts taken from the missal “On Your Word” July-August 2025
17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)
1st week, abbreviated
FIRST READING
From the Book of Genesis (Gen 18:20-32)
In those days, the Lord said: “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and their sin is very grave. I intend to go down and see whether they have truly done all the evil of which the outcry that has reached me speaks; I want to know!” Those men set out from there and went toward Sodom, while Abraham still stood in the presence of the Lord. Abraham drew near to him and said: “Will you really sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Perhaps there are fifty righteous in the city: will you really destroy it? Will you not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be treated like the wicked; far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?” The Lord replied: “If I find fifty righteous in Sodom, within the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.” Abraham spoke again and said: “See how I make bold to speak to my Lord, I who am but dust and ashes: perhaps there will be five fewer than fifty righteous; will you destroy the whole city because of those five?” He replied: “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” Once again he spoke to him and said: “Perhaps forty will be found there.” He replied: “For the sake of those forty I will not do it.” Then he said: “Let not my Lord be angry if I speak again: perhaps thirty will be found there.” He replied: “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” He continued: “See how I make bold to speak to my Lord! Perhaps twenty will be found there.” He replied: “I will not destroy it for the sake of those twenty.” Then he said: “Let not my Lord be angry if I speak just once more: perhaps ten will be found there.” He replied: “I will not destroy it for the sake of those ten.” – The word of the Lord.
Commentary on the First Reading
To pray and intercede for others means standing face to face with God. And this means recognizing him as our best friend, to whom we dare ask even for things we would not have the courage to ask of strangers. This is Abraham's attitude, a true friend of God. We too can grow in this friendship with him to the point of daring to ask with the same trust as the ancient patriarch. The issue, rather, is to move beyond a certain mentality, which we too are often steeped in, according to which God has better things to think about than listening to our requests. If we could see how attentively he listens to our prayers, even the most rambling ones, we would truly be amazed.
SECOND READING
From the Letter of Saint Paul the Apostle to the Colossians (Col 2:12-14)
Brothers and sisters, having been buried with Christ in baptism, you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. With him, God also gave life to you, who were dead because of your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, forgiving us all our transgressions and canceling the document written against us, which, with its prescriptions, was opposed to us: he removed it, nailing it to the cross. – The word of God.
Commentary on the second reading
No one could have taken away our sin, since it was like an accusation written in indelible characters against us. According to Paul, not even our good works or perfect observance of the Law could have erased or destroyed that document. But God, in Jesus, nailed that document to the wood of the cross. This means that in Christ we are free, new creatures no longer subject to the law of evil. It is now up to us, through our daily choices, to choose what kind of lifestyle we want to adopt; to live as people raised to new life means ensuring that every action, however small or insignificant it may be, is clothed in love and faith. At that moment, it also becomes clear to others what a great gift we have received.
GOSPEL
From the Gospel according to Luke (Lk 11:1-13)
Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples.” And he said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come; give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us, and do not bring us to the time of trial.’” Then he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and he answers from inside, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up to give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs. So I say to you: Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” – The Word of the Lord.
Gospel Commentary
Prayer is truly prayer only if it places us in a filial relationship with God. When you call him Father, he opens his heart and gives you everything you ask for. To pronounce this name with your heart and your life means daring to do what no one could do: entering into a trusting intimacy with him. Our Father in heaven takes immense pleasure when his children ask him for something in the name of his Son; he himself is eager to grant our requests, even more than we are to make them. Today Jesus invites you to ask with greater insistence, to seek with perseverance, to knock with greater conviction. Only in this way will yours be a prayer lived as a child, together with the Son Jesus, for the salvation of our brothers and sisters.
