Ecclesiasticus 48:1-14 / Matthew 6:7-15
It used to be a practice where a phrase or form of words were written in memory of a person who has died, especially as an inscription on a tombstone, which is known as an epitaph.
Maybe it has fallen out of practice because niches are more practical and the plaque on the niche is rather small.
And it can be difficult to summarize a person’s life in just a few words.
The 1st reading is like a long epitaph of the life of the prophet Elijah.
But if all that is to condensed into a few words, it would probably be this: The prophet Elijah was a man of God and a man of prayer.
We may not have epitaphs or memories written about us after we have passed on.
What is more important is can others see that we believe in God and that we are a people of prayer.
In the gospel, Jesus taught us the prayer of the “Our Father’.
He also said that prayer is not to be a babbling of many words. He also said that the fruit of prayer is forgiveness.
When we pray, it should lead us to forgive others. And in forgiving others, we are also acknowledging the power of God in our prayer.
May others see us as a people who believe in God, a people who pray and that our prayer is expressed in our forgiveness of others.