Aug 9 Sun
How should I pray?
Jesus went up on the mountain by himself to pray. Jesus’ prayer to the Father is the perfect model of prayer. Often done in solitude and in secret, as we see in today’s Gospel, the prayer of Jesus involves a loving adherence to the will of the Father even to the Cross and an absolute confidence in being heard.
In his teaching, Jesus teaches his disciples to pray with a purified heart, with lively and persevering faith, with filial boldness. He calls them to vigilance and invites them to present their petitions to God in his name. Jesus Christ himself answers prayers addressed to him.
While the Mass is the perfect prayer, we also need to have a private life of prayer, a daily and intimate conversation with God. Heaven is communion with God, and one way to begin this communion now is by the conversation of mental prayer.
As was the case with Christ and his mother, the heart of prayer is offering oneself in loving adherence to the will of the Father, regardless of the cost.
“My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.”
And Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”
“And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” In imitation of Christ our Master, we also must have the sureness that God will answer our prayers. So, we pray with faith.
We cannot expect our life of prayer to mean anything without an ongoing conversion of heart. If we don’t work with God to purify our lives of sin, we can’t expect a life of prayer. The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel.
We must pray with “filial boldness” or the audacity of a loved child. We can ask for what we want, so long as it is not evil. “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
We pray to the Father through Christ and directly to Christ. Christ invites his disciples to present their petitions to God in his name. Jesus Christ himself answers prayers addressed to him.
To be vigilant means to be on watch. We are vigilant if we say to Our Lord, I will pray at this time every day, and I will pray in these ways every day, and then actually do it.
We can find the solitude Elijah and Christ sought and that Christ recommends for us anytime we want by entering into our own interiority—even if things are busy and noisy around us. However, the best place for prayer is before the Blessed Sacrament in a quiet Church.