17th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C, 2010 PRAYER
Genesis 18:20-32
Psalm 138:1-2, 2-3, 6-7, 7-8
Colossians 2:12-14
Luke 11:1-13
I presume that when most of you think of prayer, you immediately think of asking God for something. We usually associate prayer with petition -- with asking. One day a man was desperately searching for a parking space in the church parking lot on a wedding day. He was the best man at the wedding and could not be late. So he said to God: God, I'll go to church every Sunday for the rest of my life, if you just find me a space. Suddenly a spot opened up. Oh, never mind, God, he says, I just found one.
When there is a tragedy or sickness or some other difficult event in a person's life we so often hear people say: I WILL PRAY FOR YOU. It amazes me when I hear a TV news reporter mention to a person they are interviewing I WILL PRAY FOR YOU. I don't know the person's religion or religious beliefs, but it seems OK to tell a person that we will pray for them. Prayer is a response to our relationship with God. Does prayer change us or the situation? Does prayer have the power to heal? While the healing power of prayer is difficult to answer scientific studies do demonstrate that religious people tend to live healthier lives and spend less time in hospitals.
In the Gospel today Jesus tells a story, followed by several sayings, to convey how extraordinarily loving and gracious God is and how much God wants to shower us with what is good. We don’t have to try to convince God to be generous toward us—that is the very thing God wants to do!
Jesus tells a story about a person who has a special need late at night, after a guest arrives unexpectedly. He goes to his neighbor to ask for bread to serve to the guest. Even though the neighbor and his family are sound asleep, surely he will respond. Jewish persons would be ashamed not to help someone in need, even late at night. Responsibility for a request for bread was both of the household and the village, who all shared responsibility for hospitality to the guest. It is completely unthinkable that a friend would act shamefully by denying a friend in need. A friend would most certainly give what is asked and more.
The point of the story is that God’s response to us when we are needy is like that of the generously giving friend. God stands ready and eager to open the door to whoever knocks and to give whatever we ask, just as parents desire to give good gifts to their children. We do not have to badger God or bargain with God to give us good things.
Jesus so often talked about prayer and went off for days by himself in order to pray. Like you and I he learned prayers and how to pray through his parents those who were in church with him.
So often persons have told me: I don't go to church regularly, but I pray every day. I praise them for praying every day, but suggest that we also learn prayers with others in Church. Churches are first of all places of prayer. You and I today participate in what is known as the Mass which is the Eucharistic Prayer. Church is the place where we are Baptized and get married. Baptism and Marriage are sacraments but they are also prayers. For most persons the church is the place when people come to spiritually fuel up for the week, and often to fill up the spiritual tank that runs on empty very often.
I am certain that all of you pray, but many adult Catholics pray as they did when they were little boys or girls. For them God is the Great Problem Solver, the one to whom we went to fix things, or change things. Our preferred way of praying was by reciting memorized prayers such as the Our Father or the Hail Mary over and over again with the number of repetitions in direct proportion to the desired outcome. We felt that we could force God to respond. This type of prayer is natural and human. It expresses our need for God.
The friends of John the Baptist were known for praying the prayer which John the Baptist had taught them. But Jesus had never taught his own friends his own prayer. And so they go to Jesus and say: Jesus, teach us how to pray. He tells them and us that prayer must includeASKING, SEEKING AND KNOCKING. And then he gives them the prayer what we know as theLORD'S PRAYER, or the OUR FATHER. The Lord's Prayer has become the classic that it is at least in part because it, like all good prayers, challenges the one who prays to a change of heart.
Prayer is as important to our spiritual life and health as is breathing to our physical life. Tell me how you pray and I will tell you how you live applies to all of us. . Abraham's conversation with God shows us prayer at its best. It is respectful, and it is intimate, it is two way, and it is something we can share with Jesus.
Prayer is the raising of our mind and heart to God. Prayer is requesting good things from God. Payer is a conversation with God. Prayer is talking to God, listening to God, and being with God. Prayer can help us. Prayer can heal us. Prayer can keep us out of trouble. Prayer can keep us healthy. When we stay connected to God, everything goes better. Prayer can teach us to be at peace
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