Friday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Opening Prayer

Faithful God, You fulfill dreams in strange and wonderful ways. We rejoice that our dreams come true through Your graciousness. But we are aware of the price. Abraham finally gets his first piece of the promised land as a burial place for his wife. The mixture of suffering and fulfillment seems to be Your familiar way to operate. Keep us faithful to where You have called and planted us. Keep us faithful through the generations to hand on the story of Your faithful love. As Jesus called Matthew, and other people sneered in disbelief, humble us not to make judgments about others, because we are so flawed and sinful ourselves. Help us to acknowledge that You can work well through people we do not appreciate, understand or respect. Continue to work your wonders this day, Faithful God! Even if they seem strange to our petty minds.