Last Sunday’s Mass focuses on the power of trusting and persevering prayer, to reach the mind of God. The spirit of prayer and devotion shows that a person has a Living Faith. Jesus is the model of prayer and often He spent the whole night in prayer; He would also often go off to a secluded place very early in the morning to pray to the Father.
In the first reading Moses prays to God from a hilltop, whilst Josua led the Israelites in battle against Amalek and his army’s assault. This was during their journey to the Promised Land. While Moses kept his arms raised in prayer, Israel had the advantage, but when his arms fell down, the advantage went to the enemy Amalek. To keep Moses praying, Aaron and Hur sat him on a rock and supported his arms, one on either side until sunset. Through the graces obtained by the prayers of Moses, Josua mowed down Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
God wants to give us His graces, but He wants us to ask for them:
Ask and you shall receive; seek and you shall find.. (Mt 7:7).
Let’s pray like Moses with great trust and perseverance. A great deal in our lives and that of others around us, depends on our prayer and devotion.
In the second reading, St Paul in his letter to Timothy reminds Timothy and us that all the Scriptures are inspired and useful for teaching. The Bible is sacred, and we can also use the Scriptures to pray by using methods such as “Lectio Divina” (Divine Reading). This is the traditional monastic practice of meditating on a Scriptural passage, allowing it to penetrate the mind and heart and applying it to one’s life. This method can easily be googled on the internet for more detail.
In the Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the unjust Judge and the poor widow. As the result of the widow’s ceaseless petitions, this unjust judge who had no fear of God or respect for others and who had refused to give her justice, finally relented. So, through persistence in prayer the weaker party triumphed. God who is full of mercy, awaits our steadfast prayer. The primary responsibility of the Church is to pray for the needs of her sons and daughters. The first duty of Priests is to pray and offer the holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The Church must be a praying Church. Our Heavenly Mother has said at her numerous apparitions that more can be achieved through one hour of prayer than through years of discussions. Prayer is like the breathing of the soul. It is as necessary spiritually as breathing of air is to our physical bodies. Our Lady has said that prayer is more powerful than an atomic bomb. We should go to God, like needy children who go to their parents. It is good to present our petitions to God through Mary, because she is called The Mother of Mercy. The Rosary is a powerful spiritual weapon against Satan and his minions. The fragile cord of the Rosary binds up the demons and renders them impotent and unable to do harm.
Sometimes however, we may wonder why God seems to take so long to answer our prayers. St Augustine explains this very well. He says that sometimes God delays in giving us what we ask for. Suppose you wish to fill a bag with a large object. To fit the object inside the bag, you have to stretch the bag. In this way you increase its capacity by stretching it. In the same way, by delaying the fulfilment of our desires God stretches and expands our soul. By this expansion He increases its capacity.
Let’s never forget the importance of prayer and good works, to have a Living Faith. Just as we have three meals a day, so we should pray at least three times per day: First thing in the morning with the Morning Offering, in the middle of the day and in the evening. Prayer is our secret weapon and if we are people of steadfast prayer and devotion, Jesus will find faith upon the earth when He returns! Praise be Jesus Christ, now and forever!
This reminds me of the story of Ben, who grew up on a farm in the country. When he was eight years old, he had a pony named Frisky. One morning when Ben was rounding up the cattle, Frisky suddenly got the bit between his teeth and bolted off at a breakneck speed. Ben held on for his very life and miraculously he emerged unhurt when Frisky finally ran out of puff. That night Ben’s Dad accompanied his son to his bedroom and asked Ben to kneel down with him, and thank God, that he was not hurt. That incident happened around sixty years ago, and Ben never forgot this. It gave him a greater appreciation of his Dad, and above all, taught him to be grateful. Gratitude opens our hearts to God and to others. The more we remember to thank God and our neighbour, the more we will love God and one another. Praise be Jesus Christ, now and forever.