Sirach 48: 1-14; Psalm 97; Matthew 6:7-15
The psalmist tells us, "Fire goes before God," and Sirach, in a summary statement of Elijah's mission as prophet, bearing the word of God calls him "a prophet like fire, and his word burned like a torch." Jesus in Matthew's instruction teaches his disciples to pray, not "heaping up empty phrases like the Gentiles do." Pray: "Our Father in heaven..." Matthew's version ends with Jesus' challenge again: "If you do not forive others neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."
What is your prophetic word like? Check out the empty phrases you might be tempted to heap up. What are they? What do you hope they will do? Will they change God's mind? What might they change in your heart? And finally, can we ever do this enough: check out who you might have a hard time forgiving and ask God to give you the gift of forgiving.
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kin-dom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Give us the grace to share our bread, our riches, ourselves.