17^th Sunday In Ordinary Time.  (Sunday Gospel Reflection 7.24.22)

Luke 11:1-13

 

“Lord, teach us how to pray…”

 

This has always intrigued me.  These followers of Jesus were presumably raised in their faith, and were now spending time watching and listening to Jesus.  So, one would also presume that they had some familiarity with prayer, some sense of prayer.  Yet, they ask Jesus point blank, “Teach us how!”

 

I always come to the same conclusion.  Human nature.  Even though we have a sincere desire to get closer to God  and to grow in faith and spirituality our human nature want us to be told how to do it. We don’t want to figure it out.  We don’t want to discern God’s spirit within us on our own.  “Just tell me how,” we implore.  Give us a blueprint, a roadmap.

 

The trouble is, asking for specific, direct and clear instructions may lead to a superficial understanding of prayer.  We may feel that by merely repeating the words we are told to say we automatically gain enlightenment; we automatically grow in faith.

 

Today’s gospel is a perfect example.  We may conclude that by merely repeating the words Jesus gave us we automatically get what we want and need.  We can manipulate God by our persistence.  But Jesus’ message is much deeper than that.  Its not mere persistence, but sincerity in our pleas that, ultimately, will bring us to God’s goodness.  That our prayer will always lead us to loving one another as God loves us.

 

Today my prayer is “Lord, teach me how to pray … not only with words.  Teach me how to pray with my very being.  With my words, my mind, my heart, my soul.”

 

“Call Me Ishmael”