St. Polycarp, bishop & martyr 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

Isaiah 55:10-11

 As the rain and the snow come down

From the heavens and do not return till they have watered the earth, making it yield seed for the sower and food for others to eat,  so is my word that goes forth out of my mouth: it will not return to me idle, but it shall accomplish my will, the purpose for which it has been sent.

 

Ps 34:4-5, 6-7, 16-17, 18-19

From all their distress, God rescues the just

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

Matthew 6:7-15

 When you pray, do not use a lot of words, as the pagans do, for they hold that the more they say, the more chance they have of being heard. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need, even before you ask him.

 This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, holy be your name,  your kingdom come and your will be done,  on earth as in heaven.  Give us today our daily bread.  Forgive us our debts  just as we have forgiven those who are in debt to us.  Do not bring us to the test but deliver us from the evil one.

 If you forgive others their wrongs, your Father in heaven will also forgive yours. If you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive you.

 

Gospel Reflection：

In front of God, we need not speak too much in order to be understood. He knows us through and through. For sometimes, words get in the way. They could be misunderstood. The most refined form of communication is the communication of beings.

It is heart speaking to another heart. There is no possibility of confusion or misunderstanding because it does not use imperfect vehicles like words to convey what one thinks and feels. Hearts could lie through words, but heart speaking to another heart could not.

That is why Jesus teaches us to pray from the heart. In that way, we can ask the Father in all sincerity that which we truly need.