Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time: Luke 11:1-13
Today’s readings emphasize the importance of prayer in deepening our relationship with God. Prayer is a miracle of the heart, which has the power to transform our lives totally. How do we pray and why? We often ask these questions! “After Jesus was praying in a certain place and when Jesus had finished, the disciples said to Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray.” The disciples saw the power of prayer in Jesus.
The late Pope Francis said to the thousands of young people gathering at the last World Youth Day, “Prayer requires courage and persistence, and pray with strong and deep faith. Even though in our prayer lives, sometimes we feel it is tiring and there is dryness and emptiness, keep praying and don’t be afraid of praying.” The Pope continued and said, “Prayer does not change God’s mind, but it is to discover what God’s mind might be; this means that we are seeking God’s will in our prayers.” Also, the Pope humbly asked the young people: “Pray for me; I need it!”
St. Mother Teresa’s years of darkness teach us important life lessons that we can apply to our own life journey of faith and prayer. Mother Teresa struggled with her faith, even doubting whether God truly existed. However, this reveals that Mother Teresa endured hardships, struggles, and, most importantly, doubted her faith, just as we all do. We wonder – Why did Mother Teresa suffer with so much darkness and despair in her life? Why did God not release such a dedicated, selfless woman from her misery? As we are aware, God never makes mistakes. God has a master plan and an individual purpose for each of us. However, it took her entire life to realize that her suffering was meant to bring her closer to the sufferings that Jesus endured on the cross and the sufferings of the poor she served. Mother Teresa finally realized that her feeling of being abandoned by God only helped her to love God more and serve the poor throughout the darkest moments of her life; she was an inspiration to those living in darkness, showing that Jesus can give us real light. Mother Teresa’s darkest moments and her struggles in life teach us a valuable lesson: even the holiest persons, the most faithful, and the saints struggle in their spiritual lives!
Many of us have seen the picture of a door at which you knock, knowing that Jesus is on the other side of that wooden door. Jesus is there! Jesus is waiting for us to knock so Jesus can open the door and welcome us in. What Jesus is promising us, Jesus makes clear when Jesus talks about a generous father responding to a child asking for something.
“How much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Jesus?”
Let me share with you a meaningful story: A farmer had two daughters. The elder one was married to a farmer. The younger daughter was married to a potter. The father used to visit his daughters frequently. During one of his visits, the elder daughter requested him to pray for more frequent rains as their growing crops were severely in need of water. He agreed. Then he visited his younger daughter. She told him that they wanted more sunshine to get their clay pots dried in the sun for hardening. She wanted him to pray for more sunshine without any rain. The poor father was in great confusion as his daughters were demanding his prayers for contradictory gifts. Finally, he took a bold decision and prayed, “God, do as you wish. May your will be done!” Our loving God knows what we need and what is best for us and grants only those gifts that we deserve!
Richard. C. Trench remarked, “Prayer is not overcoming God’s lack of enthusiasm but co-operating with His willingness”. God has plans to bring us prosperity and not disaster. In prayers, it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart. The fewer the words, the better the prayer. The family that prays together stays together.
Yes, every prayer we say with our hearts — whether we think it will be answered or not — is worthwhile and nourishing. So, it is very important for us to be persistent in prayer. There is no such thing as an unanswered prayer. The answer may sometimes be long in coming, so that we can appreciate it better. Sometimes, our prayers are answered in different ways, which is far better than what we desired. When we pray, we should have trust in God’s wisdom and love. Let us be persons of prayer!