(Homily for March 7, 2017).
Today, Jesus teaches us how to pray insisting that what we do or refuse
to do forms part of our prayer. In other words, prayer should never be a matter
of merely talking to God – in fact, Jesus says, we should not “heap up empty phrases
as Gentiles do for they think that they will be heard for their many words.” Words
alone are not the essence of prayer; actions too are needed. It is either your
actions are helping your prayer or they are hindering your prayer. And two ways
in which our actions hinder our prayers is our lack of faith and our lack of
forgiveness.
When we pray to God for forgiveness, our prayer is not complete if we
fail to actively forgive our neighbours who offend us. “For if you forgive men their
trespasses, your heavenly father also will forgive you; but if you do not
forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
Isn’t it an irony we even go to the extent of using prayer itself as a
weapon against those who have hurt us? We pray in anger, asking God to deal
with certain people simply because we have not been able to forgive them. If only
we could just realize that all such prayers are null and void – empty phrases –
waste of time and energy!
To bolster our Faith, the prophet Isaiah reassures us in our first
reading of the power in the word of God. Just as the rain cannot fall without
touching the ground so God’s words cannot be uttered without carrying out their
full effects. When we use God’s words in prayer, we are sending the words back
to him and as God has promised, his words cannot return to him without accomplishing
their goal. This should increase our confidence.
Positive action also entails that we prepare ahead for what we are to
expect from prayer. The story is told of an entire village that gathered at the
market square to pray for rain given that they were experiencing a drought but
on that day, only one little girl summoned courage to come with an umbrella.
Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, may my actions be inspired by my faith. Amen. Saints
Perpetua and Felicity; Pray for us.
Be Happy.
Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Tuesday of the first week of Lent. Bible
Study: Isaiah 55:10-11 and Mathew 6:7-15).
Fr. Abu.
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