Monday, January 31, 2011

Gospel of Luke, chapter 11:1

There has been so much written on prayer that one more addition to the list seems redundant. Jesus in the Gospels responds to the request of the disciples and spells the basics out here in a not to be improved fashion. So rather than add something to what we already have, allow me to simply reflect on the implications of what He has said.

The basic insight, it seems to me, is that, like everything else in life, we get out of it what we put into it. Somebody once queried, “If an ass looks in a mirror, does an angel look out?” So it is with our Lord. He tells us that if we expect God’s forgiveness then we must bestow our forgiveness on all others in our lives that we have grieved or offended. This basic insight is not just about our need to forgive, however. Rather, it permeates the entire Lord’s Prayer.

So consider the prayer of petition or intercession. Let me give you an example of what I consider a “baloney” prayer. It sounds good, pious and devout even, but it is 100% baloney. Here we go. “Oh God our gracious heavenly Father, provide for the needs of the destitute, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, provide water for the thirsty, and bind up the sick. May your loving arms embrace all who hurt as you provide for their every need. This we ask in the sweet Name of Jesus. Amen” Ah, baloney. That’s what I say. This is a phony prayer. We might just as well go bowling or fishing as waste our time and God’s time offering up such a prayer. It is really magic, not religion. You see, God does not work this way under normal circumstances. He sets it all up so that we are to be the answer to our every prayer. If the hungry are to be fed, it is because you and I are challenged to be the ones who feed them. If the naked are to be clothed, it is because God is challenging us to be the ones who clothe them. It is not just that we are to believe in God. But, more amazingly, it is because God believes in us. Christ established the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church to be the means of bringing in His Kingdom. He is depending on this rag tag army, the Church, you and me, to be the very means whereby His dream for mankind is to be achieved.

So how does this affect our prayer? Listen to a real and authentic one. Here we go. “God, fill me with the compassion, the commitment to those in need to make the difference for them and for you. I pledge my money, my time, my energy, to making all the difference for them and you. If they are to be fed, it is because I pledge to feed them. If they are to be clothed, it is because I commit all in my power to clothe them. Open me, Lord, to you. In Christ I pray. Amen.” Now there is an authentic prayer of the Kingdom.

You see it? There is no point in praying for those in prison that they not be lonely or despondent unless we are prepared to visit them ourselves. There is no point in praying for world peace unless we are personal instruments of that peace. So, Lord make us the answer to our prayers.

God loves you.

Fr. Mike Cassell+