Homily for February 20, 2018.
“And in
praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that
they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father
knows what you need before you ask him.” Matthew 6:7-8.
As the
saying goes, “empty vessels make the loudest noise.” When a man knows the stuff
he is made of, he does not talk too much anymore. The ability to talk very well
is a gift but talking too much is a vice, a bad habit. As part of his sermon on
the Mount in Matthew 6, Jesus warns us about talking too much or repeating
ourselves over and over again when we pray.
The
effectiveness of prayer is not a matter of the number of words used, but the
faith with which every word is spoken. The book of Hebrews tells us: “Without
faith it is impossible to please him. For whoever would draw near to God must
believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Hebrews 11:6.
Before
ever we set out to pray, we must first assure ourselves that God is more than
able to grant our requests. We must remind ourselves of what God has done in
the past and face the truth that no situation is beyond God. in this regard, in
the book of Isaiah, God assures us that just as the rain drop from heaven and
never returns until it has watered the earth, God’s words can never return
empty. Isaiah 55:10-11. This should propel us to pray.
Dear
friends, the simple truth is that when we have to repeat ourselves over and
over again in prayer, it shows that we don’t believe our prayers have been
heard or will ever be heard. The deeper your faith in God, the lesser the
number of words you employ in prayer. By shouting at the top of your voice, it
is either you just want people to hear you pray, (that is, you just want to
attract attention to youself) or you are actually showing that God is far from
you or that God has hearing problem.
The
Gentiles were of the habit of using “empty phrases” at prayer. A lot of the
speaking-in-tongues we Christians do today are “empty phrases.” We know such
tongues are not inspired by the Holy Spirit yet we force all kinds of sounds
from their mouths to make people believe we can pray. We end up making mockery
of prayer.
In
teaching us the Lord’s prayer, Jesus wants us to learn that prayer is a father-child
conversation; a community factor; a co-ordinated affair. Jesus not only gave a formula
for prayer, he shows us that all prayer deserves a formula. In the Lord’s
prayer, Jesus did not speak in tongues, rather, he taught us to use real words
that are sensible and meaningful. We should stop trying to make people feel
that if they don’t speak in tongues, their prayers do not carry weight.
Above all,
in this prayer, Jesus teaches us that words alone are not even the essence of
prayer. Prayer is not complete without the necessary corresponding actions. My
prayer is useless if I don’t follow the Golden rule; if I don’t treat people
just as I want to be treated. If I don’t forgive those who offend me, I waste time
asking God to forgive me my own faults.
Prayer
must go with action, whatever I ask from God, I too must be willing to give to
my fellow brothers and sister. Prayer is a Cross; the vertical line depicts our
reception from God while the horizontal line depicts our sharing with one
another. Prayer must benefit others. I dare not ask God for divine protection
while I wish death for someone else. The divine protection I plan to receive
from God must extend to people otherwise my prayer is null and void.
Let us
Pray: Lord Jesus, renovate my prayer life; deepen my faith in you that I may
realize the need to use less but meaningful words in prayer. Amen.
*Be happy,
live positive, it is well with you. Tuesday of the First Week of Lent. Bible Study: Isaiah 55:10-11 and Matthew
6:7-15.*
Fr. Abu.
Nb. Based
on today’s homily, one might be tempted to ask: What about the Rosary? Isn’t it
a prayer of repetition which falls under what Jeus condemns? The answer is No.
The Rosary is first and foremost a meditation on the life of Christ, the events
of his birth, his teachings, his sacraments, his suffering, his death and
resurrection and the implications of his life on us. The “hail marys, our
fathers and glory be”only help to facilitate this meditation. Take away the
meditation, the rosary prayer becomes a mere repetition; a motion without
movement.
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