In today's readings, we are presented with two powerful moments of intercession and prayer. in the first reading from Genesis, we encounter the familiar story of Abraham negotiating with God for the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah. in the Gospel from Luke, we hear Jesus teaching His disciples how to pray, offering the Lord's prayer and assuring them of God's generosity in answering prayers. Both readings speak to the nature of prayer, particularly the power of intercession and the generosity of God.

In Today's Gospel, we encounter the familiar scene of Jesus visiting the home of Martha and Mary. While Martha is busy with the tasks of serving and preparing for the guest, Mary sits at the feet of Jesus, listening attentively to His words. While Martha complains that Mary is not helping, Jesus gently rebukes her, saying, '' Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her''.

In today's Gospel, we hear the parable of the Good Samaritan, one of the most well-known and impactful teachings of Jesus. The story is simple yet profound: A man is robbed, beaten and left for dead on the side of the road. A priest and Levite pass by, each ignoring the man's plight. But a Samaritan, a figure despised by the jewish people of the time, stops to help the injured man, tending to his wounds and ensuring he receives care. Jesus concludes by asking, '' Which of these three, do you think, was neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?'' The answer, of course, is the one who showed mercy.

In today's Gospel, taken from the Evangelist Luke, we read of the commissioning of the disciples by the Lord. we see that the Lord does something a little bit unusual and perhaps for our modern standards, a bit inefficient! He sends his disciples out two-by-two. Why would the Lord do this? with all the ground that He has to cover, with all the souls that need to hear the message of the Kingdom of God, why wouldn't He just send them out one-by-one? As one homilist put it years ago: '' if these disciples can survive each other, they can survive anything the world, the flesh and the devil can throw at them.